


Somehow Shifted

by RySenkari



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Adventure, Cassandra Finds The Tower, Cassunzel AU, F/F, Humor, Peril, Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure Spoilers, Romance, Tangled The Series Spoilers, cassunzel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 75,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27632402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RySenkari/pseuds/RySenkari
Summary: Through a twist of fate, it isn't Flynn Rider who climbs into Rapunzel's tower, but the daughter of the Captain of the Corona Royal Guard, a young woman named Cassandra. Will Rapunzel still find her freedom, and learn who she truly is? And will Cassandra find her own destiny?
Relationships: Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 34
Kudos: 240





	1. A Fateful Chase

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU of Tangled, where it's Cassandra who climbs through the tower window instead of Eugene. I know this has been done before, and done quite well by more than one author, I'm just offering my spin on the story idea! I'll be using some lines and even song lyrics from the movie, as many of the events of the film will find their way into this story, though obviously with Cassandra around there's plenty of things that turn out differently as well. Hopefully everyone enjoys the story!

“ _Daddy, tell me the story about the lost princess again.”_

“ _Cassandra, this is the third time this week...”_

“ _Please?”_

“ _All right, all right, but then you have to promise to go to sleep. We've got a long day of training in the morning.”_

“ _I promise!”_

_Little Cassandra sat at the edge of the bed, her hands placed below her chin as she listened with rapt attention to her father's story. The guard captain, still clad in his armor as he tucked his young daughter into bed, sat beside her, and prepared to once again tell the tragic story of the lost princess of Corona._

“ _Once upon a time, the King and Queen of Corona were trying desperately to have a child of their own. The royal doctor had told the queen that she might be putting herself in danger by giving birth, but she wanted a child so badly that she would be willing to do anything to have one, even if it meant risking her life.”_

“ _Why didn't they just adopt a child like you adopted me?” asked Cassandra, leaning forward curiously._

“ _The queen felt that it wouldn't have been fair to adopt just one child when all the other orphans in the kingdom would have been left behind. She could never have chosen just one, knowing that it would have been the difference between a life of luxury and a life of poverty.”_

“ _That makes sense,” said Cassandra, thinking about her father's answer for a moment. “But... if you had found another child with me at the house you got me from, would you have picked me?”_

“ _I would have taken you both, of course,” said Cassandra's father, wrapping her up in a tight embrace. “But I'm glad it was just you... makes it easier to keep you safe.”_

“ _When I'm done training, you won't need to keep me safe! I'll be strong, just like you!”_

_Cassandra's father laughed and held her even closer._

“ _I'll always be there to keep you safe, no matter how strong you get,” he told her. “Now, back to the story. The queen was close to giving birth, but the illness the doctor had feared began to take hold of her, and she became very sick... everyone was sure she wasn't going to make it, and she was clinging to life by a thread. That's when the guards went out and found a beautiful golden flower... they brought it back, and the doctor mixed it up into a medicine and gave it to the queen, and she was restored to health, and had a beautiful baby girl.”_

“ _The lost princess!”_

“ _Exactly,” said the captain. “Only, she wasn't lost when she was born... her parents loved her dearly, and they were looking forward to raising her to become a kind and wise queen someday... but then, soon after she was born, a cloaked woman appeared and snatched her from her crib. We tried to stop her, but she fled into the night, taking the princess away... and she hasn't been seen since. We scoured all of Corona, and even the surrounding kingdoms, but no sign of her has ever been found.”_

_Cassandra sighed, and her father tucked her in._

“ _Thanks for telling me that story again,” said Cassandra._

“ _Cassandra, why do you like that story so much? It's terribly sad, and yet you want to hear it almost every night.”_

_Cassandra smiled, and gripped her blanket tightly._

“ _It's not sad to me... because someday, I'm going to find the lost princess, and I'm going to save her!”_

_The captain could see the determination in the eyes of his little girl, and though it was somewhat inspiring to see how brave and confident she was, he felt he had to give her a reality check, lest she become too consumed by her heroic desires._

“ _I'm glad you're able to see the silver lining in such a tragic story, but how could you hope to find the lost princess after the entire Corona guard searched for months on end and couldn't find a trace of her?”_

“ _You just haven't been looking hard enough!”_

“ _Cassandra... to be quite honest, I don't think the lost princess is ever going to be found. I think whoever took her went far, far away, and we're never going to see her again. That's why the king keeps such a strict watch on the kingdom... and why us guards have to be so tough. That's why I want to keep you safe too.”_

“ _But daddy-”_

“ _And now it's time for you to get some sleep,” he told her, leaning down to kiss Cassandra on the forehead. “If you really do want to join the royal guard and save the lost princess someday, you'll need all the training you can get. Just remember to keep your feet planted firmly on the ground, and your head out of the clouds. A guard's got to keep his wits about him.”_

“ _Or her wits,” Cassandra corrected him._

“ _Right,” said the captain. “...sweet dreams.”_

_As the captain left the room and closed the door, Cassandra pulled up the sheets and imagined just what the lost princess might be like... and how excited the whole kingdom would be to see her again._

_And when she closed her eyes and went to sleep, she dreamed of the lost princess as well._

O-O-O

Fifteen years after the last time she'd heard the story of the lost princess, Cassandra was now a strong, confident young woman. She'd put her dream of saving the lost princess aside, but had never forgotten her father's tale... and now she had a new dream, one she was just a few feet away from realizing. She rode through the forest, the wind buffeting her body, which shook as her horse's hooves pounded the grassy ground below. She was catching up to her target fast, and as she called out to him, she knew it was only a matter of time before the kingdom's most wanted fugitive was in her custody.

“Rider!” shouted Cassandra, calling out to the roguish thief as she rapidly gained on him. “You can't run from me! Give it up and come quietly!”

Just ahead, the thief Flynn Rider was running for his life. He thought he'd had it made when he managed to trick the entire Corona Royal Guard into chasing down his cohorts, the Stabbington Brothers, but hadn't counted on the guard captain's daughter giving chase... just like he hadn't counted on her interfering with their attempt to steal the crown of the lost princess.

“Oh come on, I didn't even steal the crown!” shouted Flynn. He'd been just about to take it into his grasp when the sudden arrival of Cassandra startled him and caused him to drop it, and before he could try to grab it from the floor, Cassandra and her dagger had forced him to make a quick exit.

“Attempted thievery is still a crime, and I'm still taking you in! Come on, Fidella, just a bit further and we've got him!”

Fidella nodded and sped up even faster. As the horse closed in, its mouth was within nipping distance of Flynn's legs, and Flynn managed to pick up the pace just in time to avoid getting snagged by Fidella's strong teeth.

“This is _not_ my day!” Flynn cried, realizing that Cassandra's horse was about to run him down and there was nothing he could do about it... until he saw a vine dangling from the trees ahead.

“You're mine!” Cassandra shouted. _And once I catch Corona's most wanted thief, dad will have to let me into the Royal Guard. This is what I've trained for... not to be some handmaiden, or some nun in a convent. I'm meant to be in the Guard, protecting the people of Corona! This is my chance... this is my destiny!_

Cassandra leaned forward and grabbed at Flynn. At the exact same moment, Flynn grabbed the overhanging vine and held on for dear life, swinging away from Cassandra's grasp, which nearly caused him to fall from her horse. She grabbed Fidella's neck and held on tight, while Flynn swung around a large tree, coming around behind Cassandra and Fidella. Using his momentum, he leapt down onto Fidella's back and attempted to knock the teetering Cassandra off, but she remained mounted and swung herself forward, fist first.

“Not today!” shouted Cassandra, socking Flynn in the face with all her strength. Flynn was nearly thrown off Fidella himself, but retained his balance, though now he had a bruised face and a bloody nose for his trouble. “You're under arrest!”

“OW!” Flynn whined, placing one hand over his face as he used the other hand to grip the horse. “Did you have to aim for the nose?”

“Well, now it matches your wanted poster,” said Cassandra with a proud smirk, before pulling a pair of wrist shackles from her belt. “Now put both hands in front of you, you're coming back to the kingdom with me.”

Cassandra tried to put the cuffs on Flynn's wrists, but he slid his hands out of her grasp and tried to push her away. Angrily, she grabbed one of his wrists and twisted it hard, forcing out a cry of pain.

“Hold still, this'll be a lot easier for you if you stop resisting!” scolded Cassandra.

“Uh, they're gonna hang me if they catch me,” Flynn replied.

“I'll do worse if you don't stop fighting!” shouted Cassandra. She managed to get one of his arms pinned down, and went to slap the shackle on... then she felt her other arm being yanked up. She looked up and could see that her wrist was now attached to one shackle, while the other shackle was attached to a tree branch above her head. “Oh... sh-”

Cassandra shrieked as she was yanked upward, while Fidella kept running, now with Flynn as the only rider. As Flynn laughed and waved goodbye, Cassandra angrily struggled to free her wrist, using the other to shake her fist at the escaping thief.

“Come back here!” she shouted. “Fidella, stop!”

As Cassandra reached down for the dagger on her belt, Fidella realized that Cassandra was no longer on her back. She came to a screeching halt, and Flynn's momentum carried him forward, launching him over her head and toward a hard landing on the ground. Cassandra used her dagger to pick the lock on the shackle, then gave chase as Flynn picked himself up.

“You'll pay for that,” Cassandra grumbled, rubbing her sore arm as she staggered toward Flynn. Flynn had had a rough landing himself, and was limping as Cassandra gave chase. By the time Cassandra re-mounted her horse, Flynn was a decent amount ahead of her, but she knew she could close that gap in seconds flat. “Stop running!”

Flynn panted and huffed as Cassandra once again resumed the chase on horseback. He ran as hard and as fast as he could, but once again found himself out-sped, and either way, he was out of time.

He had come to the edge of a cliff, with only a long tree branch extending out over the edge. There was nowhere else to run, and Cassandra knew it, as the smirk returned to her face when she realized that her quarry was trapped.

“End of the line, Rider,” said Cassandra. “Give up now and I won't mention the little stunt you pulled with the shackles. Who knows, maybe you'll get life in prison instead of a hanging.”

“A life behind bars is no life at all,” Flynn replied, backing toward the edge of the cliff.

“So what, then? You're gonna jump?”

Flynn continued to back up, until he began walking out onto the tree branch. It was more than strong enough to support his weight, and he was more than agile enough to keep his balance. He walked halfway out onto the branch and extended his arms as if to say 'come and get me'.

“This branch is awfully narrow,” said Flynn. “I don't think you're going to come after me.”

Cassandra dismounted Fidella and began walking out onto the branch, no fear in her eyes as she strode toward Flynn as casually as if she was walking inside the castle. Flynn's expression grew nervous, while Cassandra's remained firm and serious.

“Give. It. Up.”

“Eheheheheh.... you've forced me to do this,” said Flynn, as he slowly backed toward the end of the branch. His expression softened, and his lips curled into a pout, while his eyes narrowed sweetly. Cassandra continued to glare at him, crossing her arms over her chest. “....aww... aww, come on, the smolder always works!”

“Funny, it almost looked like you were begging.”

As Cassandra continued to walk out onto the branch, Fidella, waiting on the solid cliffside, began to grow nervous. Cassandra looked back at her, and her expression softened a bit as she tried to reassure her faithful horse.

“It's fine, Fidella, the branch is completely-”

A loud crack could suddenly be heard. Cassandra and Flynn both gasped. Then, the branch gave way, sending the two plummeting into the valley below, both of them screaming. Fidella let out a cry of fright, watching her friend disappear into the mists.

Cassandra was still screaming as she hit the ground hard, bouncing a bit and then rolling in the soft grass for a few feet before coming to a stop. She felt a sharp pain in her side, and for a moment, the wind was knocked out of her, but as she struggled to take a breath, the pain in her body subsided, and she realized that the unusually soft grass had cushioned her fall. She quickly regained her breath and made it to her feet, and after checking for any broken bones, which, thankfully, she hadn't sustained, she immediately began looking for Flynn Rider, who had fallen some distance away, out of Cassandra's sight.

“Damn,” she muttered, brushing the dirt and grass from her cape. “Where'd he fall...? And where even am I?”

Cassandra took a few moments to regain her bearings, looking around for any sign of the thief. Though the fall hadn't harmed her, there was a chance it might've harmed him, or even killed him... the wanted poster specified that Flynn was wanted alive, but if he'd been killed in the course of fleeing, it certainly wouldn't be held against her... though she wouldn't have the glory of having brought him to justice.

_And to be quite honest, as much as I despise thieves, I guess he doesn't deserve to die..._ thought Cassandra. Though the justice system in Corona was harsh, it certainly hadn't always been that way, not until after the abduction of the lost princess. Cassandra remembers her father telling her about a time when the royal guard was much more lax with thieves and petty criminals, and capital punishment was almost nonexistent. Cassandra herself used to have such sentiments, though her father's tough training and stern lectures had given her a much more cynical outlook on the world and on wanted criminals.  _Then again, what happens to him isn't my concern. All I need to do is catch him._

Cassandra began looking around, not just for Flynn Rider but for a way back up to the top of the cliff, where she knew Fidella had to be worried sick about her. She was worried that Fidella might return to her father and that they would launch a search... and upsetting her father could be the last straw that would get her sent to a convent, a fate she desperately hoped to avoid.

_I just need to find Rider fast and get back to Fidella. Then I can return to the kingdom with him and join the Guard at last. Where is he...?_

Cassandra began to run, though she was careful not to run too fast or too hard, lest she alert Flynn to her presence should he be hiding somewhere. The last thing she needed was to scare him off, or worse, to allow him to get the jump on her and leave her chained to a tree somewhere for her father to find. Not only would it be humiliating for her, but her father would never let her hear the end of it... and would then send her off to a convent, ruining her chances of being in the Guard, of protecting Corona, and of finding her destiny.

She had to find Flynn Rider. Her life depended on it.

She searched for a few minutes with no sign of the thief, and frustration started to set in. She found her way over to a wall draped with ivy, and decided to take a short rest... a _very_ short rest, while she thought about where Flynn could be hiding. She leaned against the wall... and nearly fell through it. She gasped, and turned toward it, and put her hand all the way through the ivy. There was nothing on the other side, nothing but air.

“What the...?”

Cassandra poked her entire arm through the ivy, then brushed it aside as if parting a curtain. The ivy concealed a cave, and the cave led somewhere deeper into the rock formation. It was the perfect hiding place... the perfect hiding place for a thief.

_I think I've found where Flynn Rider went._

Cassandra walked through the ivy and entered the cave. As she walked, she could hear the faint sound of a waterfall on the other side. The cave wasn't very long at all, and soon, she'd emerged back out into the sun, in the middle of a totally concealed valley... and paused for a moment to gaze upon the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

The waterfall was there, of course, along with a tall tower, right in the middle of the clearing. Cassandra's mouth was slightly agape, but she quickly regained her senses, realizing that Flynn must have run to the only hiding place in sight... that tower.

“Guess it's only fair that you get to spend your last minutes of freedom somewhere beautiful,” said Cassandra, walking to the tower and looking for a way inside. She walked around the entire perimeter, careful to make sure Flynn wasn't hiding anywhere else... but there was nowhere else for him to go, even the waterfall was positioned right in front of a solid face of rock. Apart from the cave leading out to the forest, there was only the tower... and now Cassandra just needed a way in. “Guess I've got to climb it.”

Cassandra had plenty of experience scaling walls during her training with her father, but this high tower was different, there didn't look to be any way up... no ropes, no spikes, no ladders... Cassandra sighed and unsheathed her sword, hoping she wouldn't chip or break the metal as she jammed it into the gaps in the brick and pulled herself up toward the tower's lone window.

_When I catch him, I'm gonna hit him again,_ thought Cassandra, grimacing and growling as she painstakingly pulled her way up the side of the tower, using her sword to pull herself up and her dagger to keep herself from falling.  _Come on, Cassandra, remember your training... dad's had it way tougher than this. I hope he's all right... going after those Stabbington guys can't be easy, but he's got the whole royal guard, I'm going it alone. I know he doesn't think I'm ready, but I am. I can catch Flynn Rider... I can catch anyone!_

Finally, Cassandra made it up to the window ledge. She grabbed it and pulled herself up and into the room, holding up her sword and dagger to defend herself as she stepped forward.

“All right, Rider, I followed you up the tower, now come out with your hands-”

Cassandra felt a hard blow to the back of her head, and lost consciousness immediately.

O-O-O

“Aaaaah!”

Cassandra awoke to something very cold and wet being jammed into her ear. She leapt up with a start... or at the very least, tried to leap up, but soon realized that she had been tied very tightly to a wooden chair with some kind of golden colored material. Her arms were bound to the armrests of the chair, there was more of the wrapping around her chest, and even her ankles had been secured to the chair's front legs. As she was starting to process that part of her situation, and trying not to focus on the pain in the back of her head, she noticed that the wrappings keeping her tied up seemed to be connected to something in the shadows of the room.

“Unnnh, my head... wait a minute, what.....?” Cassandra muttered silently, looking around for whoever or whatever had done this to her... but immediately suspecting that her target had to be at fault. “Rider, I know you're behind this!”

Cassandra began to struggle, and the more she looked at her bindings, the more they seemed to resemble very long strands of blonde hair. She continued struggling, not caring what she was tied up with, only that she had to escape, and escape quickly! She'd taken some escape lessons as part of guard training, but the ropes had always been so simple to slip out of... she always suspected that her father was taking it easy on her. It was nowhere near the preparation she'd need for this... this material was stronger than any ropes she'd ever handled, but she kept fighting against it, determined to break free.

“Struggling.... struggling is pointless!” came a voice from above, a voice that Cassandra quickly identified as belonging to a girl.

“Who are you?” shouted Cassandra, looking up only to see the girl suddenly leap down.

“I'm not afraid of you,” the voice replied, as its owner stepped forward out of the shadows.

_You seem afraid to me,_ thought Cassandra, watching as her captor emerged... it was indeed a girl, appearing close to Cassandra's age but somewhat younger. She had long, blonde hair, and Cassandra realized that this girl's hair was what was being used to tie her to the chair.  _How in the world...?_

“I'm asking the questions here,” said the girl, her voice trembling but with some confidence behind it as she held a frying pan in a defensive posture. “And my first question is... who are you... and how did you find me?”

“Stow the innocent act, you know exactly who I am,” Cassandra replied sternly. Clearly, this girl knew Flynn Rider... probably one of his many girlfriends, living in what was clearly one of his secret hideouts. She was trying to put on an act, but Cassandra could see right through it, and once she overcame the initial shock of being jumped and tied up in seventy feet of hair, she was more than capable of letting this girl know exactly who she was dealing with. “My name is Cassandra and I'm with the Corona Royal Guard, and you're clearly working with the wanted thief Flynn Rider. Let me go now, or you'll be in just as much trouble as he is!”

“I don't know what you're talking about!” said the girl, leaning toward Cassandra and holding her frying pan menacingly. “I don't know anything about Corona, or the Royal Guard, and I certainly don't know anyone named Flynn Rider!”

“Did you know that aiding and abetting a wanted fugitive is a hanging offense?” said Cassandra, jerking in her bonds again and leaning intimidatingly toward Rapunzel. “If you free me now and help me catch Rider, I promise that you'll be given a much lighter sentence. Who knows, maybe you'll be let off with a warning.”

The girl was somewhat baffled by Cassandra's threats, and had just as much reason to trust her as Cassandra had to trust the girl... which was absolutely none. She looked over at Pascal, who gave Cassandra an angry glare, one that Cassandra quickly returned.

“Your chameleon's starting to piss me off,” said Cassandra.

“Language!” the girl shouted, pushing her frying pan toward Cassandra's face. Pascal pounded his fist into his hand, and Cassandra responded by jerking toward him, which caused him to squeak and leap off her shoulder. “Pascal!”

“I'm warning you, this is your last chance! Untie me now or you'll be in serious trouble!”

The girl bent down to help her chameleon up from the ground, then pointed her frying pan at Cassandra again.

“If you threaten Pascal again, I swear you'll be in a lot more trouble than you say I'm going to be...” said the girl, putting her frying pan right up to Cassandra's neck. Cassandra's expression grew slightly nervous, and she recoiled slightly, but tried to maintain her intimidating aura as best she could, though in her current state it wouldn't be possible for her to carry out any of her threats, while this girl was clearly capable of carrying out any of hers. “Now, I want some answers out of you... real ones. Who's this Flynn Rider you keep talking about? Is he a ruffian? A thug?”

“I wouldn't _exactly_ call him a thug, that would imply he's an actual physical threat,” said Cassandra. “And he's not rough enough to be a ruffian. He's a thief, one who tried to steal a very valuable item, and I chased him up here... only to meet you. I told you, you can drop the act, I know you're working with him.”

“So is he.... is he close?” asked the girl, starting to get somewhat nervous. Cassandra could see in her eyes and hear in her voice that this fright wasn't an act... it was genuine nervousness that there was a potential criminal in her midst. Maybe she didn't know Flynn Rider after all... but Cassandra wasn't taking any chances.

“...yes, he is,” said Cassandra. “He might be in this tower, maybe right below our feet. And if you don't untie me, and he comes in here, you might not be able to stop him.”

The girl looked at Cassandra, then at Pascal, who glowered and shook his head. Then she looked back at Cassandra.

“Nice try,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “It's obvious that the only real threat here is _you_. After all, you snuck into my tower, looking to steal my hair.”

“Steal your... what?!”

“So...” said the girl, starting to pace around Cassandra. “What do you want with my hair? To cut it? To sell it?”

_...to be fair, with the tensile strength of this hair you could probably make some really strong armor,_ thought Cassandra, beginning to struggle again as the girl continued to circle her.  _It'd be really gross to march into battle wearing hair armor, but I could understand why somebody might..._

“Well?”

“...no! I didn't come here looking for you, I came here looking for that thief, and I can see now that you're not working with him, so just let me out of your hair so I can get back to going after him!”

Cassandra was more frustrated than frightened by the strange girl who currently had her tied up in all this hair. She didn't know if the girl was out of her mind or just really dense, all she knew was that she wasn't going to be able to get free on her own, and for the sake of her future as a member of the Royal Guard, she had to find a way to convince the girl to set her loose... only for someone who was really dense, she also seemed to be quite smart, as none of Cassandra's attempts to trick her had worked.

“...so... you're telling the truth?” asked the girl, her expression softening. Pascal seemed unsure, but the girl's comforting smile seemed to reassure him as well, and Cassandra also managed to calm herself down, ceasing her struggles and even relaxing a bit in the chair.

“Of course I am,” she replied. Then, she let out a sigh. “And... I'm sorry I threatened your chameleon. I've actually got a pet owl back home... his name is Owl. I know, it's not the most creative name, but I'm not really the most creative person.”

Cassandra took a brief look around the room and could see all of the painting and art and murals on the walls. She could never imagine herself being so artistic, and seeing that art and realizing how long it must've taken to paint convinced her that this girl had been living up here for a very long time, and that this was her tower and not Flynn Rider's. This girl had never met Flynn Rider in her life, and Cassandra felt a pang of guilt for accusing her, even if she was still upset about being jumped and tied up.

“Listen, uh.... what's your name, anyway?”

“It's Rapunzel,” said the girl, walking toward Cassandra. “And Pascal forgives you.”

“In that case,” said Cassandra, leaning slightly toward Rapunzel. “Could you untie me now, Rapunzel?”

Rapunzel looked at Cassandra, then back at Pascal, who squeaked a few times. She leaned toward the chameleon, and Cassandra could hear them whispering to each other. Seeing a girl whispering to a chameleon might've seemed strange to most people, but she and Owl also had their own way of communicating, so it wasn't exactly the strangest thing she'd ever seen.

“...you said you came here looking for a thief, right?” asked Rapunzel, walking back toward Cassandra.

“That's right,” Cassandra replied. “And I need to get back to chasing him as soon as possible, so-”

“Look this way,” Rapunzel suddenly commanded, yanking Cassandra's chair around to face the opposite direction.

“Whoa...!” Cassandra cried out, looking up to see Rapunzel suddenly standing on top of a fireplace and pulling back a curtain to reveal a painting of floating lights in the night sky. _The lanterns for the lost princess, how does she know about...?_

“Do you know what these are?” asked Rapunzel.

O-O-O

_Cassandra and her father sat on a boat, floating out on the lake near the royal palace of Corona. In her hands, she held a small lantern, illuminated by a tiny flame._

“ _It's beautiful...” the young girl whispered, looking down into the fire._

“ _It's a new tradition,” said Cassandra's father. “We'll lift these lanterns to the sky, and they'll go high up, high enough for all of Corona to see, so that if the princess is out there, she can see them and find her way home.”_

“ _Do you think it'll work?” asked Cassandra, holding her lantern tightly._

“ _It gives the kingdom hope,” the captain replied. “And that's all that matters.”_

_When the signal went out, and the king and queen lifted up their lantern, the people on all the boats lifted theirs as well... and finally, it was Cassandra's turn._

“ _For the lost princess...” Cassandra whispered softly. “Please come home to us...”_

_She lifted her arms to the sky, and the lantern floated out of her hands, joining the others in a beautiful display. The captain held his daughter tightly as they watched the lanterns go up, and a single tear came to his eye._

“ _Cassandra,” thought the captain, wiping the tear away with one hand while holding his daughter with the other. “I promise, I'll never let you go.”_

O-O-O

“Every year, the king and queen of Corona join the people in raising thousands of lanterns into the sky on the lost princess' birthday, in the hope that she'll return home...” said Cassandra, looking at the mural with admiration. _And I've never seen it painted before, but... it's beautiful._

“Lanterns...” said Rapunzel quietly. “I knew they weren't stars...”

“They're doing the ceremony tomorrow,” said Cassandra, who suddenly had a troubling thought. _Which would be the perfect time for Flynn Rider to come back and steal the crown, when everybody's distracted. Now I have to catch him...!_

Cassandra began to struggle in the chair again, before Rapunzel pointed her frying pan at her.

“That's right,” said Rapunzel. “Tomorrow evening, they will light the night sky with these lanterns. You will act as my guide, take me to these lanterns, and return me home safely.”

“And... you'll let me go?” asked Cassandra.

“That is my deal,” Rapunzel replied.

_Can't she just go herself?_ thought Cassandra, raising an eyebrow at Rapunzel.  _Then again... she seemed scared to death of me, and of the thought that Flynn Rider might be lurking in here. She didn't know about the floating light ceremony... for some reason, she doesn't seem to get out of this tower very much. I guess she will need a guide, but if I take her to see the floating lanterns, I'll miss my chance to catch Flynn Rider. He'll steal the crown, dad will find out I got into trouble, and I'll get sent to a convent! I could just trick Rapunzel into untying me, but... then once I got away from her she'd be at the mercy of everything out there, and it'd be my fault. I can't just ditch her, can I?_

Rapunzel could see the wheels turning inside Cassandra's head, and leapt down from the fireplace to approach her.

“Is something wrong?” asked Rapunzel.

“If I don't agree to take you to the floating lights, what are you going to do, just keep me here?”

“That's right,” she said with a confident smirk. “You clearly can't get out of my hair, so I'll just keep you here as long as it takes for you to agree to take me to see the lights.”

“The ceremony is tomorrow evening,” said Cassandra. “After that, you'll have to wait a whole year to see them again.”

“Then... then I'll keep you here a whole year!” said Rapunzel, starting to get flustered.

“Oh? And how do you plan to do that? Are you going to feed me? What if I have to go to the bathroom?”

“I'll... I'll....!”

“Plus, since I'm tied up in your hair, you have to stay close to me.”

“I'm used to staying in here!”

“Face it, you have nothing to threaten me with besides your frying pan, and I don't think you're the type to bludgeon someone to death. I can take you out of the tower, but there's somewhere I need to be tomorrow night, so if you want to see the lights, you'll be seeing them alone.”

Rapunzel let out a sigh, realizing that Cassandra was right. It took everything she had just to knock her out with that frying pan... she might be able to keep Cassandra tied up for a day or two, but after that, she'd have to let her go... her mother Gothel would be back in three days anyway, and there's no way she could let Gothel know that she was keeping someone else in the tower, someone from the outside, since outside meant dangerous and dangerous was forbidden. Still... as observant as Rapunzel was, she might have something else to offer her.

“Listen, Cassandra,” said Rapunzel. “Something brought you here. Call it what you will... fate, destiny...”

_Destiny,_ thought Cassandra, that word echoing through her mind. She looked at Rapunzel... looked deep into her eyes, for some sign that their meeting truly did mean something. Her eyes were thoughtful, compassionate, innocent... but there was a bravery hidden within them as well. Rapunzel might have been nervous upon their first meeting, but Cassandra could sense a spark in her eyes as well, a spark of curiosity. She could see it in the art she'd drawn on the walls, in the intelligence she conveyed in her words. Rapunzel wanted out of this tower, and something was keeping her inside... Cassandra didn't know why she was suddenly this girl's way out, and she didn't know if they'd truly been destined to meet, but she found herself wanting to know more about this girl, even if, right now, she  _needed_ to catch Flynn Rider.

“So I have made the decision to trust you,” said Rapunzel. She looked at Cassandra sternly, but then... her expression turned, became softer, more accommodating. “...and maybe you'll come to trust me as well. My new deal is this. If you take me to see the floating lanterns, I will help you catch Flynn Rider. You won't have to return me to the tower until we catch him. I'll stay with you until we do.”

Cassandra looked at Rapunzel for a moment... then she started to laugh. It was a quick, quiet laugh, but also a very dismissive one, and Rapunzel's expression grew angry again.

“I've been training for the Royal Guard since I could barely walk, and you... you think you can help me catch Flynn Rider?” asked Cassandra, leaning back into her chair and laughing again.

“I caught you, didn't I?” said Rapunzel with a smirk, yanking the chair forward with a strand of her hair, so close that her and Cassandra's faces were just inches apart.

Cassandra stopped laughing.

“...I... guess you did,” muttered Cassandra, an embarrassed blush coming over her face. “But you got lucky.”

“We can catch Flynn Rider if we work together,” said Rapunzel. “I told you, I'll stay with you until we catch him... I promise. And when I promise something, I never _ever_ break that promise.”

Rapunzel leaned in even closer, so close that their noses were almost touching.

“Ever.”

Cassandra's blush intensified slightly as she looked into Rapunzel's eyes and could immediately tell that she was telling the truth. For all the broken promises Cassandra had experienced in her life, there was just something about this girl that she could trust... or at least, something she desperately wanted to trust.

She still didn't know if Rapunzel would be a help or a hindrance to her in catching the thief... probably a hindrance... but Rapunzel was right. She'd gotten the better of Cassandra, she might just be able to get the better of Flynn Rider. At the very least, the thief wouldn't see two of them coming.

“Okay,” said Cassandra. “I'll take you to see the lanterns.”

“Really?” Rapunzel squeaked, jumping up into the air excitedly... and dropping Cassandra flat on her face.

“Owwww! F-” Cassandra started to say before a strand of Rapunzel's hair suddenly wrapped itself around her mouth, muffling her intended obscenity.

“Language!” Rapunzel chirped.

A few minutes later, and Cassandra had been freed from the chair. For the briefest of moments, she thought about running while Rapunzel was still inside her tower... but decided against it, decided to keep her end of the bargain, just as she knew Rapunzel would be keeping hers. She wondered about Fidella, hoped that her dad wasn't already looking for her... and hoped that he and the guard wouldn't find them along the way.

_I need to keep this a secret until Flynn is in custody,_ thought Cassandra. She looked over at Rapunzel, who seemed both excited and nervous to begin their journey... and couldn't help but feel a little bit of those emotions as well.  _Can't believe I got myself roped into this... I just hope I can keep her safe._

Cassandra's protective instinct was kicking in, and the more happy and excited Rapunzel got, the more nervous Cassandra was about being able to keep her safe. She wasn't worried that Flynn might hurt her, but if the Stabbingtons got involved, or any of the many other dangers that plagued Corona, she hoped that Rapunzel would be as quick with her hair and that frying pan as she had been when she'd taken her by surprise.

“So, all set?” asked Cassandra, walking back over to the window. “Uh, I'll need my weapons to get down...”

“...right,” said Rapunzel, reaching into a nearby pot and retrieving Cassandra's sword and dagger. Her hands trembled a bit as she handed them to Cassandra.

“...Rapunzel, you might've jumped me from behind and tied me to a chair, but I'm not mad, not anymore,” said Cassandra, as she reached out to take her weapons. “And I'll never, ever hurt you. I promise.”

Cassandra looked into Rapunzel's eyes with the same conviction and sincerity that Rapunzel had given her when she'd promised to stay with her until they caught Flynn Rider. Rapunzel's smile returned, and Cassandra took her weapons back. Then, she turned toward the window, looking down to the ground below.

“Are you ready?” asked Cassandra.

“Ready as I'll ever be,” Rapunzel replied.


	2. Of Ducklings And Dreams

Getting up the tower had been a challenge, but getting down wasn't nearly as difficult for Cassandra. The most difficult thing was making sure she had either her dagger or her sword embedded deep enough in the gaps between the bricks to support her weight, but since she no longer had to pull herself up painstakingly slowly, getting down took significantly less time, and she was soon back on terra firma, waiting for her new partner to slide down behind her.

She had plenty of things on her mind as she waited for the mysterious girl with the impossibly long, blonde hair to follow her down the side of the tower. Why was her hair so long? Why hadn't she ever seemed to have left the tower before? And why was she so fascinated with the floating lights? Curiously, Cassandra noted that the girl seemed to share a birthday with the lost princess, but that wasn't so terribly odd... there were plenty of people in Corona who shared their birthday with the princess, and she noticed them at the floating lights festival every year, enjoying the games and excitement just a bit more as they got their presents or celebrated with their favorite sweets.

_The lights are beautiful, I guess, but there's nothing all that special about them,_ thought Cassandra.  _I used to enjoy them a lot more when I was young, but now they're just the same boring thing year after year..._

Cassandra looked up and could see Rapunzel still standing on the ledge... she almost seemed to be singing softly to herself, trying to talk herself into leaving. She thought about calling up to her, as she was starting to get impatient, but in Rapunzel, Cassandra saw her best chance to capture Flynn Rider... her best chance to achieve the destiny she'd been working her whole life for. She sighed and stayed silent, and then, finally, saw a long strand of hair fall down the side of the tower... and with it, Rapunzel, giggling happily as she slid down, an excited smile on her face, practically twirling around the strand as she fell.

“Rapunzel, be careful!” Cassandra called out. Rapunzel, as if noticing finally where she was and how fast she was falling, came to a stop with her foot just inches from the ground. “Rapunzel, here...”  
  


Cassandra extended her hand to help the blonde come down, only for her to seemingly twist away, her eyes wide and fearful. She paused, but only for a few seconds, before slowly lowering her bare toes toward the grass. Cassandra backed away to give her some space, and Rapunzel finally touched the ground, one foot, and then two. She giggled again, and seemed to stand there, moving her feet back and forth, wanting to experience the softness of the grass for the first time. She sang softly to herself again, looking over at Cassandra with an unmistakable smile, her nervousness rapidly melting away as she felt the warm breeze in her hair and across her body.

“Cassandra... it's amazing! The grass, the dirt, the summer breeze... I... I... it's better than I ever dreamed!”

“Yeah, it's, uh... it's pretty nice,” said Cassandra, watching the princess press her body into the grass, roll on the ground for a few moments, and look at a dandelion. As a small gust of wind spread the dandelion's seeds, Rapunzel stood up and began to jog, her feet finding a nearby pond. “Shouldn't we get going?”

Rapunzel splashed some water up at herself, continuing to sing and loudly exclaim how happy and excited she was to finally leave her tower. She was consumed with joy, the entire world now open to her, and indeed, she did follow Cassandra's suggestion to get going, breaking off into a full speed run toward the ivy shrouded cave leading out of the clearing, continuing to sing and scream all the while.

“Rapunzel!” shouted Cassandra, trying her best to keep up with the energetic princess as she followed her back through the cave. _It's like she's never seen grass before... and I'm starting to think she hasn't!_

As Cassandra emerged from the cave, she could see Rapunzel standing amidst a grove of trees, arms extended, taking it all in... the sun, the breeze, the grass, the trees, the birds... Rapunzel's euphoria was impenetrable, and Cassandra was powerless to do anything but watch her joyous display, as the blonde let out one last melodic cry, looking up to the heavens with birds flying all around her. A couple of the birds flew near Cassandra, zooming past her face and causing her to swat at one of them.

“Watch it!” she shouted, glaring angrily at the flock as it went up into the sky. She then looked over at Rapunzel, who was still standing there, arms outstretched, soaking up the sun. Her blonde hair shimmered, even through the faint beams of light poking through the trees, and Cassandra could hear her breathing rapidly, a mix of excitement and nervousness. _Yeah... the world might seem beautiful now, but walk around out here for a little while and you'll start to realize it's not some magical fairytale place._

“I can't believe I did this!” exclaimed Rapunzel, putting her hands up to the side of her face in disbelief. Then, the color started to drain from her face, as she realized just how big of a step she'd taken in expanding her world and disobeying her mother. Her eyes grew worried. “...I can't believe I did this.”

Rapunzel's worries faded, and she started to dance around in place, shouting once more, even more excitedly than before.

“I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THIS!” Rapunzel screamed.

“I can't believe I agreed to this...” muttered Cassandra, rubbing her hand against her forehead.

Rapunzel grew nervous again, and stopped dancing. She folded her hands in front of her.

“Mother would be so furious...” she said quietly.

“Yeah, well, ya know, what she doesn't know won't hurt her,” replied Cassandra, who took out her dagger and started twirling it absent-mindedly against her gloved finger.

“You're right!” said Rapunzel happily, taking Cassandra's hand and nearly causing her to drop her knife. “Let's hurry onward!”

“Good,” replied Cassandra, sheathing the knife and letting out an exasperated sigh. “First things first, we need to make our way toward Corona's capital, but first, there's a little pit stop we need to make along the way if we're going to get closer to our goal of catching Flynn Rider.”

“Sounds like a plan!” said Rapunzel eagerly, clinging tightly to Cassandra's arm. “This is going to be so much fun!”

_For you, maybe..._ thought Cassandra. She began looking around at the nearby trees, attempting to get her bearings as she and Rapunzel tentatively walked out of the clearing. “First things first, don't be so clingy...”

Cassandra gently moved Rapunzel's hand away from her arm. Rapunzel took a few steps back, nodding her head and looking somewhat apologetic.

“Right... personal space!” she said, backing away.

“Stick close, but not _too_ close,” replied Cassandra. “Your mother's right, there are lots of dangers out here, and-”

“Dangers?!” said Rapunzel suddenly, pulling out her pan and taking a defensive stance. “But you said-”

“You're the one who wanted to see the floating lights, remember?”

“Yes, I did say that! And we will go see the floating lights! But... you said you weren't dangerous, and that it wasn't dangerous out here.”

Cassandra sighed. She quickly regretted opening her mouth to say anything at all... she wanted Rapunzel to feel safe, but at the same time, there  _were_ genuine dangers out there, and Cassandra couldn't help but feel a protective instinct for this girl, even though she'd been the one to get jumped and overpowered by her. Rapunzel was so compassionate, so innocent, and from what Cassandra had experienced, and from what her father had told her, the world had a way of chewing up and spitting out people like that... especially people like Rapunzel who were so eager to see and experience everything. Cassandra walked over and placed a comforting hand on Rapunzel's shoulder, but Rapunzel jerked away, glaring at her.

“Maybe I should just go back,” said Rapunzel, bowing her head. She began to quiver and tremble, and continued to walk away from Cassandra, back toward the safety of that ivy-shrouded cave. “Maybe mother was right...”

“Ugh,” groaned Cassandra, trudging after Rapunzel. “I don't know what your mom's been telling you, or why she kept you cooped up in that tower, but you need to listen to me. You're safe as long as you stick with me. I'll protect you. I'll take you to the floating lights, and we'll catch Flynn Rider, and then I'll take you home, okay?”

Rapunzel ignored Cassandra and sat down on a small rock nearly, her head slumped.

“I never should have left...” said Rapunzel sadly, putting her head on her knees. “Mother would be so upset... oh my gosh... this would kill her...”

Cassandra rolled her eyes. She'd disobeyed her dad tons of times... it never killed him, it just earned her a stern lecture.

“It wouldn't kill your mom if she found out you left,” said Cassandra, sitting down nearby. “You'd probably just get chewed out, you've been chewed out before haven't you?”

Rapunzel lifted up her head. Her mother had given her a stern lecture just a few hours back, when she'd asked to leave the tower... it was more like a song, though she finished it up with a definite warning never to ask to leave the tower again. But asking was one thing, disobeying was another.

“Take it from me, it's easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission,” said Cassandra. She went to place her hand on Rapunzel's shoulder, but instead just stood up and gestured toward the exit of the cave. “Now c'mon...”

“You know what, Cassandra?” asked Rapunzel, standing up. “You're right... mom will be fine... I'm almost eighteen, I can leave the tower if I want!”

Rapunzel broke off into another run.

“Rapunzel, be careful...!” Cassandra shouted after her. Rapunzel charged back into the clearing, even kicking some leaves as she ran as quickly as she could.

“This is so fun!” Rapunzel shouted excitedly, Cassandra barely able to keep up. A leaf went into Cassandra's mouth, nearly causing her to choke, and she let out an annoyed cry after spitting it out. She watched as Rapunzel climbed up the tallest tree she could find with surprising agility, using her hair to drag herself up the trunk and standing on the nearest branch.

_...I'm starting to think her mom didn't have any idea what she was talking about,_ thought Cassandra, just looking up as Rapunzel danced on the thick tree branch several stories above the ground.  _She got up that tree faster than any of dad's recruits during basic training..._

Cassandra was too ashamed to admit that Rapunzel would've even beaten _her_ personal best for tree climbing, but as she watched, Rapunzel once again grew sad, and stopped her dance in order to slump her head against the tree trunk.

“I... am a horrible daughter,” said Rapunzel, her hair still dangling from the branch. “I'm going back.”

Rapunzel slid down the tree, her feet once again hitting the ground. She looked back toward the cave, then out toward an open field. After several seconds of indecision, she began to run for the field, and then started doing cartwheels, much to Cassandra's astonishment.

“I am never going back!” Rapunzel suddenly screamed. Cassandra didn't even bother giving chase... after all, the princess still needed an escort. She just stood and watched as Rapunzel ran through the field in circles, tumbling in the grass, skipping, shouting, and dancing in place. It was incredibly annoying... but in some ways, endearing.

_I've never seen anyone that happy to just... be outside_ , thought Cassandra, slowly walking toward the field to catch up with Rapunzel. She watched as Rapunzel got tangled up inside her own hair and began giggling loudly, and had more than enough time to sit down next to her and watch as she wiggled and squirmed and giggled in the grass. “Uh... you need any help getting out of that hair?”

“Nope!” she said happily, squirming around inside it like it was a warm blanket. “How do you think I learned to tie it around you? I practiced on myself, then practiced squirming out! Mother had to help me a few times when I overdid it, but soon I got good enough that I barely ever needed her help anymore!”

“That's... actually a pretty useful trick,” said Cassandra.

“What, the hair tying, or the escaping?”

“Both,” she said, smiling at her blonde companion. “The royal guard gets escape lessons as part of their training, but most of them take a while to get the hang of things, and I've seen dad had to free plenty of guards after thieves and criminals got the jump on them.”

“And what about you?” asked Rapunzel. “I mean, you couldn't squirm out of my hair, so have you had much training with escaping hairy situations?”

“Eh, I have, but I feel like dad always took it easy on me...” said Cassandra with a sigh. “That's why I was so unprepared for... that stunt you pulled on me. Dad's always so overprotective... I mean, I'm his only kid, so I get it, but I'm a grown woman now, I need my space, you know?”

“It sounds like we have a lot in common,” replied Rapunzel, giving Cassandra a sympathetic look. “Mother's just trying to protect me, and your father's just trying to protect you.”

“Yeah, well, at least my dad lets me get outside once in a while...” said Cassandra. Rapunzel's face contorted a bit, showing some comprehension of Cassandra's words, and she appeared to be deep in thought as she lay there on the ground. She wiggled her way out of her hair, but remained laying there, still thinking about what Cassandra had told her and how her mother had treated her.

“Well... she really does care about me... she's always given me lots of love... she brushes my hair, do you know how hard it is to brush seventy feet of hair?”

“I can imagine,” said Cassandra.

“And for my birthday she always makes my favorite food, hazelnut soup... she's always taken care of me... and I disobeyed her... I... I abandoned her!”

Rapunzel stood up and began walking again, her hair trailing behind her as she started musing to herself about just how much it would hurt Gothel that she'd left, and how terrible she was for leaving. Tears started to come down her face, and Cassandra was left stumped at how best to comfort her. She walked until she reached a tall, thick tree, and then collapsed to the ground, face-down, sobbing into the grass.

“I am a _despicable_ human being,” Rapunzel cried, muffled by the soft ground. Cassandra sat down next to her, still at a loss for what to say.

“That's... that's not true,” replied Cassandra, reaching out to Rapunzel. “Did your mom tell you you were terrible for wanting to leave?”

“No... but... but I feel terrible,” Rapunzel said, still shaking. Cassandra gently took Rapunzel's hand, helping her up from the ground. Rapunzel wrapped her arms around herself, looking extremely guilty, not just toward Gothel, but her new companion as well... she knew she was probably really annoying Cassandra with all of this ruminating, and she was trying her best to be excited for their adventure together, but she just kept playing back all of Gothel's past words and actions in her mind, and couldn't shake the feeling that her mother would be so disappointed in her for leaving. “Cassandra, I'm sorry... I just... it's so hard, leaving like this after everything she's done for me.”

“Well, hey... I'm bringing you back,” said Cassandra. “I promise I'll bring you back, and she'll never know you were gone. ...you're a good person, Rapunzel, worrying about how she might think. It's just... at some point, you've got to stop worrying about what other people think and start worrying about yourself, you know?”

“But... isn't that selfish and mean?” asked Rapunzel.

“Well... sometimes it is, maybe,” replied Cassandra. “Just like how sometimes the world is dangerous, but most of the time it isn't. Sometimes it's selfish to only look out for yourself, but most of the time you've got to look out for number one. It's the only way to make it in this world. You deserve it, Rapunzel.”

Rapunzel sniffled, and Cassandra walked with her, pointing out all the different sights and sounds of the outside world, while trying to get her as far away from the tower as possible, so if she did decide to go back, it would be a lot more inconvenient for her to do so.

“See, look... there's more trees, and there's a stream... and there's some pretty flowers...” Cassandra sounded awkward as she guided Rapunzel, having never been the kind of person to stop and notice these sorts of things. She only really paid attention to her surroundings when she needed to track a fugitive, or scout for an ambush, and she definitely wasn't used to leading naïve young girls on nature hikes. “And right over there-”

Rapunzel giggled and ran off again, chasing after some bugs she'd seen. She dashed through a large thicket, and Cassandra sighed and trudged slowly after her... then, she heard a loud scream.

“Rapunzel!” Cassandra cried out, drawing her sword and charging the thicket. She cut through it, and began looking around, hoping her companion hadn't been accosted by thugs... especially the Stabbingtons. “Rapunzel, I'm here-”

“So cute!” squealed Rapunzel suddenly, pointing out a small bunny on the ground. It had clearly spooked her at first, from the sound of her scream, but upon realizing it was nothing to fear, she began admiring it, and it wiggled its nose, making her squeal again. “I love it!”

Cassandra sighed and sheathed her sword, and started to say something to Rapunzel, only for the blonde to run off again, looking at every flower and reaching for every vine she saw. She picked a couple flowers and looked at them up close, while Cassandra stayed a healthy distance behind, hoping that after this latest bout of curiosity, Rapunzel would finally be ready to focus and accomplish their mission. However, she had to intervene when she saw Rapunzel reaching for one leaf in particular, and grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her just in time.

“That's poison ivy!” scolded Cassandra. “Rapunzel, we really have to get going now, if we're going to reach the floating lanterns in time...”

“Right, right!” said Rapunzel, nodding as Cassandra released her wrist.

“...I didn't hurt you, did I?” Cassandra asked, worried for a moment that she might've broken her promise.

“No, you were a bit rough though,” said Rapunzel. “But I know why you were... I've read about poison ivy, I've just never seen it up close before... thanks for the save.”

“...it's okay,” said Cassandra. She started to guide Rapunzel toward the main road, but when she noticed Rapunzel wasn't following her, she turned to see the blonde wrapping her hair around the trunk of the large tree nearby. “Rapunzel, I told you-”

“I know, I know, I just... I've always wanted to try this, it'll just take a second!”

Rapunzel made sure her hair was tightly secured around the trunk, then she jumped up into the air and began to swing around. Laughing as she flew, she closed her eyes and screamed with exhilaration, while Cassandra stood and watched.

“Whoohoo!” shouted Rapunzel, holding on tight as she went around and around the tree, feeling as if she was flying inches above the ground. “Best day ever!”

And as Cassandra watched her, saw the sheer joy Rapunzel was experiencing, her innocence and kindness radiating from her, her annoyance began to melt away, and she found herself even smiling, her lips slowly curling wider and wider as her eyes softened and her cheeks even starting to redden. If this girl hadn't been cooped up her whole life in a tower, hadn't been locked away and hidden from the outside world, she might've made a good candidate for the guard... and Cassandra could even have seen herself befriending this girl, with her natural bravery and intelligence tempering her more naïve tendencies.

_I'm... glad you're enjoying yourself, I guess,_ thought Cassandra, watching as Rapunzel lowered herself from the tree and dropped back down to the ground, letting out a cry of excitement. “...are you ready to go now, Raps?”

“I... wait, what did you call me?” said Rapunzel, turning toward Cassandra.

  
“Oh, I called you Raps,” she replied. “It's easier to say than Rapunzel.”

“Hmm...” said Rapunzel, putting her hand to her chin and smirking. “Then I suppose you don't mind if I call you Cass, right?

Cassandra sighed and shrugged.

“Go for it,” said Cassandra. “Anything that gets us to those floating lights quicker.”

“Right, the floating lights,” replied Rapunzel, shaking with anticipation. “I can't wait to see them up close... they must be so beautiful... I wish mother had taken me to see them... I wish I could be seeing them with her instead of having to go by myself...”

“Well, maybe once you get back and show her that you can handle yourself out here, she'll go with you next time.”

  
“No,” said Rapunzel, bowing her head sadly. “I don't think she will.”

As the two continued to walk toward the road, Rapunzel kept thinking about her mother, and started becoming more and more sad. Pascal climbed up onto her shoulder, and this comforted her somewhat, as she leaned over and nuzzled her chameleon friend, but she still couldn't help but feel upset the more and more she thought about Gothel. She started to sniffle, and Cassandra turned back to see Rapunzel had stopped once again and was looking toward a nearby rock, feeling like having another good cry. Cassandra knew it might be easy to try and play on those emotions... try to get her to go back home. It would be easy... convince her that she was breaking her mother's heart, crushing her soul even! She could take Rapunzel home, no longer be obligated to take her to the lanterns, and would be able to get back to the search for Flynn Rider... back to the chase and back to her destiny. But instead, Cassandra found herself wanting to press onward...  _with_ Rapunzel. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed this girl, needed her to get the jump on Rider... and the more time she spent with her, the more she found herself enjoying the girl's company. It was someone to talk to, someone who had a lot of the same experiences and problems she had... an overprotective parent, an adventurous spirit... Cassandra was certainly a lot more world weary and street smart than Rapunzel, but Rapunzel wasn't some airheaded bimbo... she was smart, curious, and a worthy travel companion... if Cassandra could at least get her to focus for a few moments on the task at hand.

“Rapunzel,” said Cassandra sharply. “I know you feel guilty about disobeying your mom, but if you don't get over it now, you'll _never_ get to see those lanterns. If you want to go back, I'll take you, but I know you don't want to go back, and you need to get over this guilt trip right now, or you'll be nothing but a burden to me.”

“Cassandra!” Rapunzel shouted back, whipping around and facing her with an indignant look in her eyes. “I'm not guilt tripping and I'm not a burden! I _do_ want to go see those lanterns!”

“Then get over yourself and follow me!” Cassandra shouted back, more of a challenge than a scold. Pascal glared at Cassandra for yelling at Rapunzel, and she glared right back at him. “That goes for you too, chameleon boy.”

Pascal gave an angry squeak, then looked at Cassandra as if to say 'as mean as she is, she's right, let's do this'. Rapunzel nodded in agreement.

“Cassandra, you're right, let's go... no more dithering. I'm going to do this!”

With a confident stride, Rapunzel began to walk with Cassandra, away from the safety of the tower and through the fields and groves of trees toward the main road... the road that would lead them to the capital and to the floating lanterns. As they walked, Cassandra was worried... she was worried about her horse Fidella, who was either still looking for her or who had already gone back to tell her dad what had happened... and she was worried that she'd completely lost Flynn Rider's trail, and would be forced to come back home empty-handed... and would most likely be sent away to a convent for worrying her father.

_If I'm going to pick the trail back up, I'll need some clues..._

Cassandra began to recognize some of the landmarks as the two continued toward the road, and realized that they were close to a particular establishment frequented by some of Corona's most unsavory characters. It was not the place she wanted to go... she hated the smell, and she hated the people, and as capable as Rapunzel increasingly seemed to be, she hated to bring her there... but if she was going to find Flynn Rider, she had no choice. The two emerged onto the road, and next to it was a small building with a duck shaped placard dangling near the front door.

“All right, Raps, if we're going to catch Flynn Rider, we'll need some information, and I'm starting with this place,” said Cassandra. Rapunzel walked over to the building, read the placard, and gasped happily.

“The Snuggly Duckling?” exclaimed Rapunzel, looking over at Cassandra excited.

“Yeah, uh, that's-”

“I _love_ ducklings!” shouted Rapunzel, jumping up and down.

“That's just the name,” replied Cassandra. “I'm warning you, this place isn't snuggly and there aren't any ducklings. It's a pub.”

“What's a pub?”

“It's a place where people go to get drunk, and the people who frequent this place are a bunch of drunken lowlifes who'd slit their own mama's throat for a nickel.”

Rapunzel gasped again, this time looking quite frightened. Cassandra placed an arm around hers and approached the door.

“Yeah... Rider most likely came here in search of info about another score or a place to lay low. If we're lucky, he might still be here. If not, the people here will know where he is.”

“...at least it looks clean,” said Rapunzel, shaking and trying to reassure herself.

“No, it's the filthiest, and home to some of the meanest sons-of-bitches in the Kingdom of Corona,” said Cassandra, finally opening the door. “Stick close to me.”

Cassandra wasn't trying to scare Rapunzel, she just wanted to give the blonde a healthy respect for the dangers they faced walking into this place... and when the door opened, those dangers became apparent. There were dozens of heavily built and heavily armored men here, clad like barbarians, gathered around the tables and the bar. They rarely saw people like Cassandra enter their midst, and never saw people like Rapunzel, and when they went in and saw the gathered thugs, Rapunzel let out a gasp and leapt up onto Cassandra's back, wrapping her legs around Cassandra and wielding her frying pan defensively.

“Not that close,” groaned Cassandra, shaking Rapunzel off her. Rapunzel's feet hit the ground, and she continued to hold out her pan as the two walked into the room. “And don't look so intimidated, they pounce on fear.”

The two continued to walk toward the bar, Rapunzel as jittery as could be, Cassandra maintaining her calm, stoic expression. They kept walking, and Rapunzel suddenly gasped as she felt her hair being tugged at by one of the patrons, a man with big sideburns, who looked down at the hair in awe and bewilderment.

“That's a lot of hair,” said the man, looking down at it while Rapunzel tried to flee his grasp. Cassandra took out her dagger and pointed it at him.

“Get back,” said Cassandra sharply. “I won't ask a second time.”

The man just shrugged and let Rapunzel's hair slip out of his grip... then Cassandra was approached by a much shorter man with a round nose and a long white beard, who seemed to be extremely inebriated as he staggered up to the intimidating and armed woman.

“Ohhhhh, somebody get me a glass, because I just found me a tall drink of water!” said the short man, before suddenly having a dagger aimed right at his nose. “...knife!”

“That's what I thought,” said Cassandra, sheathing her dagger before approaching the bar. By now, she and her blonde companion had the attention of nearly every thug in the pub, and they were all staring at the two as Cassandra leaned over toward the barkeep.

“And what will you be having today?” he asked, himself an intimidating man with a horned helmet that concealed his entire face. Cassandra noticed Flynn Rider's wanted posted nearby, and grabbed it before thrusting it at the man behind the bar.

“Information on Flynn Rider,” said Cassandra, in a tone that communicated her impatience to learn what the barkeep knew. “Have you seen him?”

“Can't say I have,” replied the barkeep.

“Cass,” said Rapunzel nervously, tugging at her companion's sleeve while watching the pub thugs draw closer and closer.

“I don't believe you,” said Cassandra, ignoring Rapunzel. She then drew her dagger again. “I know he's passed through here, this is where all the refuse passes through on its way to the river.”

“Cass!” Rapunzel scolded sharply. “That wasn't very nice!”

“I told you, he hasn't been here,” said the barkeep, who produced a mace and slammed it down onto the bar. “Now, are you gonna order something, or are you gonna get out?”

Cassandra was increasingly frustrated and increasingly furious. She was getting nowhere, and she was clearly surrounded by criminals and liars... who she noticed were getting closer, but at the moment, she didn't care. She had to catch Flynn Rider, and she wouldn't take no for an answer, even if she had to fight her way through every thug in Corona. She glared harshly at the barkeep, who stared right back at her, not in the least intimidated by her threats.

“Tell me or else,” said Cassandra, giving him one last chance to volunteer what he knew.

“Or else what?” asked the barkeep. Cassandra continued to glare at him, then leaned back, letting out a sigh as she seemingly backed down.

“Whew,” breathed Rapunzel, watching as the approaching thugs seemed to stop as well. “Cass, they clearly don't know anything, so let's-”

Suddenly, Cassandra grabbed the barkeep's mace and swung it into his head as hard as she could. Even inside his helmet, the barkeep felt the force of the blow, and was knocked temporarily back, while all the thugs lunged at Cassandra. Rapunzel gasped, sliding out of the melee past the charging thugs, while Cassandra continued to swing the mace around, taking two of them down before leaping into the fray with a loud war cry and kicking another pub thug in the chest. As she landed, one of the more muscular thugs grabbed her from behind, and she struggled in his grasp, before managing to pull out her dagger and slash across his hand. As he howled in pain and loosened his grip, Cassandra elbowed him in the solar plexus, taking him down as well.

“WHERE'S RIDER?” Cassandra snarled with rage, ducking out of the way of two more thugs as they lunged at her, their skulls colliding. “Tell me or you'll all be thrown into the castle dungeons!”

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” whispered Rapunzel, not knowing what to do as she gripped the handle of her frying pan tightly. As much as she wanted to help Cassandra, since Cassandra was the only one who could take her to see the lanterns, she also knew that Cassandra was the one who'd started the fight in the first place, and that these thugs, as scary as they were, had done nothing wrong. “Stop it!”

Rapunzel's pleas fell on deaf ears, as Cassandra continued punching and kicking and slashing at the thugs. Surprisingly enough, they were actually holding back a little bit, attempting to restrain Cassandra more than they were actually trying to hurt her. One of them, a stout man with a hook for a hand, leapt in front of her and tried to grab her, only for her to kick him as hard as she could between the legs, bringing him to his knees.

“Cassandra!” scolded Rapunzel again, watching as her companion leaped up and swung from a chandelier, kicking another thug in the face. “That was mean!”

Rapunzel walked over to try and comfort the ailing hook-handed thug as Cassandra leapt down from the chandelier and attempted to tackle another of them. She was caught by the arm, and slammed down hard onto one of the tables.

“Raps!” shouted Cassandra, briefly struggling in the much larger man's grasp. “Help me!”

“But... but you started it!” Rapunzel replied.

“I don't care, help me finish it!” said Cassandra, managing to dislodge herself from the thug's grasp by kicking him across the face. The thug staggered back, and three more grabbed Rapunzel, One of them, a man who'd been tending to a flock of rats before, ordered his companions to crawl over Cassandra and try to pin her down. “Nnnnggghh!”

“Hey...!” said Rapunzel, trying to make her way into the fracas. She was upset with Cassandra for starting a bar brawl, but she also didn't want anyone getting hurt, Cassandra included. “Can't we talk this out?”

Cassandra managed to shake off the rats, punching the ratkeeper away, then taking out her sword and swinging it at another of the thugs, who blocked it with the top of a table that he'd picked up. Cassandra angrily yanked her sword out of the table and charged into it, using her shoulder to tackle the thug into the bar, then grabbing another thug and tossing him at several more, knocking them all down. She then ran up the table and leapt over it onto the bar, swinging her sword down again at the bartender, who blocked it with his mace. She kicked the mace out of his hand, pointing the sword down at him triumphantly.

“Cass, STOP!” shouted Rapunzel, anger and determination in her voice. “All of you, stop fighting right now!”

Rapunzel's loud admonition was enough to get everyone to look her way. It was an intimidating sight... Cassandra holding the barkeep at swordpoint as a dozen angry and bruised thugs stood with their own weapons in hand, ready to tackle her. She pointed her pan at Cassandra and tried to reason with the thugs, hoping they'd cough up anything they knew about Flynn... or at least back down from attacking Cassandra.

“Okay... we didn't mean to start a fight, but we need to find Flynn Rider because I promised her I'd help catch him in exchange for her taking me to see the lanterns, because I've been dreaming about them my entire life! I'm so sorry she attacked you, but find your humanity and forgive her, and Cass, put down your sword and come down here right this instant! Haven't any of you ever had a dream?!”

The hook handed thug, who'd just recovered from having his groin assaulted by Cassandra, pulled out his axe and glared at her... then walked over to Rapunzel, axe in hand. She gulped and began to back away, and Cassandra jumped off the bar and immediately stormed after him.

“Hey, hey hey hey hey hey!” Cassandra shouted fiercely. “Don't you dare touch her, or I'll cut it off this time!”

The hook-handed thug continued toward Rapunzel, as Cassandra continued to walk after him. She backed into a barrel, and the thug kept walking, even as Cassandra raised her sword over his head.

_I'll kill him to protect Rapunzel!_ thought Cassandra, not caring if it got every thug in the pub to attack her... she'd deal with them next.

“I... had a dream once,” said the thug, shocking both Rapunzel and Cassandra, who stopped raising her sword and just stood there, her mouth agape. The thug, seemingly lost in thought, tossed his axe away, which embedded itself in the wall, starting a nearby accordionist who began to play.

“...what,” said Cassandra, dropping her sword to the ground.

_I'm malicious, mean and scary_

_My sneer could curdle dairy_

_And violence-wise, my hands are not the cleanest_

“This isn't happening,” muttered Cassandra, looking around to see the other thugs beginning to lower their weapons and standing in rapt attention. “He's singing. Does anyone care that he's singing?”

The thug began walking to a nearby piano, and Rapunzel followed him. A spotlight, which was actually just a mirror in the rafters reflecting the sunlight from outside, began to follow the thug as well.

_But despite my evil look_

_And my temper, and my hook_

_I've always yearned to be a concert pianist!_

Cassandra's jaw dropped, and she was rendered completely speechless as the thug sat down and began to play. Despite taking a brutal blow to the groin just minutes before, he played quite skillfully, and so vigorously that the keys began to fly off the piano.

_Can't ya see me on the stage performin' Mozart_

_Ticklin' the ivories 'til they gleam?_

_Yep, I'd rather be called deadly_

_For my killer show tune medley_

The thug then played a long sequence of skillful notes, and as some of the others began to cheer, he called out a grateful thanks before continuing to play. Cassandra could see an excited smile on Rapunzel's face as she bounced along to the jaunty music, and felt her heart soften a tiny bit, though she was still shocked and bewildered at what she was seeing.

_'Cause way down deep inside_

_I've got a dream!_

Then, many of the other thugs in the bar began to bounce and sing as well, and Cassandra nearly fell to the ground in shock, though as she started to swoon, another of the thugs stopped her from falling, gently taking her by the arms before setting her back upright. She recognized him as one of the thugs she'd punched and swung her sword at before, and her face reddened slightly in embarrassment as the rest of the thugs launched into a chorus.

_He's got a dream!_

_He's got a dream!_

“See, I ain't as cruel and vicious as I seem!” sang the hook-handed thug, as Rapunzel sat down next to him.

_Though I do like breaking femurs_

_You can count me with the dreamers_

_Like everybody else, I've got a dream!_

Nearby, a big-nosed thug that the hook-handed piano player had smacked during his enthusiastic playing sat up and started to sing as well. Rapunzel listened, smiling warmly at him as Cassandra just sat down and put her hand on her chin, watching in disbelief and trying not to groan or roll her eyes again.

_I've got scars and lumps and bruises_

_Plus something here that oozes_

_And let's not even mention my complexion_

_But despite my extra toes_

_And my goiter, and my nose_

_I really wanna make a love connection_

The thug handed Rapunzel a flower, which she took quite enthusiastically. Cassandra looked on the whole time, and couldn't help but notice how eager Rapunzel was to listen, despite the thug's repulsive appearance. She didn't judge him in the slightest, and instead, listened with an open heart and a kind ear... and Cassandra again felt embarrassment that she'd been so quick to judge them.

_She's sitting there listening like he's a handsome young man reading poetry,_ thought Cassandra.  _These guys are ruffians, criminals, but she doesn't even blink... it's really naïve, but... god help me, it's really sweet... ugh... she's going to get killed being so trusting, so why am I the one embarrassed with myself?_

The thug kept singing, and Rapunzel kept listening, while Cassandra found herself rolling her eyes... not because he was an ugly ruffian, but because he was being so mushy about romantic love, something Cassandra had never been motivated by in her entire life.

_Can't you see me with a special little lady?_

_Rowing in a rowboat down the stream?_

_Though I'm one disgusting blighter_

_I'm a lover, not a fighter_

_'Cause way down deep inside_

_I've got a dream_

The big-nosed thug was soon joined by the short, white-haired drunkard who Cassandra had threatened before... who had somehow found a Cupid getup, complete with wings and a little bow. As the little old man was launched around the room, pretending to fly, the thugs all cheered and kept singing, and Cassandra found herself unable to keep from rolling her eyes again.

_Just what the hell goes on here when we're not around?_ thought Cassandra, watching Rapunzel continue to dance and sway back and forth.  _Do they just spend all day rehearsing these songs or something?_

_I've got a dream_

_I've got a dream_

_And I know one day romance will reign supreme_

_Though my face leaves people screaming_

_There's a child behind it dreaming_

_Like everybody else I've got a dream_

The big nosed thug hugged Rapunzel close, then she went around the pub, listening to the others sing about their own dreams as well.

_Tor would like to quit and be a florist_

“Then do it,” muttered Cassandra.

_Gunther does interior design_

“I hope he didn't design this place,” Cassandra mused to herself.

_Ulf is into mime_

“No,” said Cassandra as Ulf approached her, pointing her sword at him with a look of absolute hatred on her face.

_Attila's cupcakes are sublime_

“His fighting skills sure aren't,” said Cassandra with a smirk, remembering how she'd clocked him with his own mace.

_Bruiser knits, Killer sews_

_Fang does little puppet shows_

_And Vladimir collects ceramic unicorns_

“Okay, that's... that's a little impressive,” Cassandra finally conceded, walking back over to Rapunzel only to be grabbed and thrown back into a crowd of thugs. “Hey!”

“What about you?” asked the hook-handed thug, leaning in toward the glowering Cassandra.

“Excuse me?”

“What's your dream?” said the big-nosed thug.

“Yeah, no, that's not happening,” Cassandra replied, only to have every single weapon in the place pointed at her. “I'd rather die than sing.”

“C'mon, pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?” asked Rapunzel, gently pushing her way through the crowd to plead with Cassandra.  
  


“No,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Pretty please?” said Rapunzel, her sweet, gentle green eyes looking right into Cassandra's. Cassandra looked back at her, and with the biggest sigh and eye roll of her life, she relented and allowed Rapunzel to help her up onto a table. “Yay!”

Cassandra looked all around at the waiting thugs, some of whom were looking up at her with their heads in their hands, smiling at her as if she were a mother telling them a bedtime story. She thought about her dreams for a moment, having never spent much time thinking about them before, and collecting her thoughts, clearing her voice, and swallowing her pride, she took a deep breath and sang out her own dreams.

_I've been working very hard_

_To be Captain of the Guard_

_I train every day before the sun has risen_

The thugs started to get uneasy at this, listening to this short-tempered and violent woman declare her desire to become their worst enemy, but now that she'd started, she wasn't going to stop, and began to sing quite enthusiastically, drawing her sword and dancing around the bar, threatening every thug she saw.

_Feel my sword swing through the air_

_Maybe save a damsel fair_

Cassandra punctuated these line by slicing skillfully through the bonds of a tied up princess puppet, then leapt onto the bar and continued to point her sword around with a keen smirk.

_And throw every single one of you in prison!_

As Cassandra took a breath to sing even more, Rapunzel suddenly leapt up onto the bar and clamped a hand over her mouth, stopping her from potentially starting another bar fight as she began to sing her own lines of the song.

_I've got a dream!  
I've got a dream!_

_I just want to see the floating lanterns gleam!_

Rapunzel lowered her hand from Cassandra's mouth and began dancing on the bar as the thugs sang and cheered with her.

_And with every passing hour_

_I'm so glad I left my tower!_

_Like all you lovely folks I've got a dream!_

Cassandra couldn't help but smile hearing how joyous Rapunzel was to have left her tower... realizing more and more that she'd made the right decision to bring her along. The thugs started to sing again, while Cassandra's eyes drifted to the window, and out of the corner of her eye, she thought she noticed a figure peering through it, but when she looked closer, they were gone.

_She's got a dream_

_They've got a dream, we've got a dream_

_So our differences ain't really that extreme_

Cassandra slipped through the thugs as they launched into a full Broadway-esque song and dance routine, walking to the window to see if she could spot the figure she saw. Meanwhile, Rapunzel began to dance and sing with the thugs, delirious with joy and rapidly making dozens of new friends as they all sang together about their hopes and dreams.

_We're one big team_

_Call us brutal, sick, sadistic_

_And grotesquely optimistic_

_'Cause way down deep inside_

_We've got a dream!_

Cassandra peered through the window. She didn't catch a glimpse of the shadowy figure... she saw something much worse. Her father, the Captain of the Guard, and a full retinue of soldiers, making their way to the pub.

“No!” Cassandra whispered. She turned and watched as the thugs finished up their song and dance number, flipping themselves and many, many objects around, and finishing with Rapunzel being helped up onto a table and twirling around in one final glorious note. “RAPUNZEL!”

Rapunzel gasped, turning around with the short old man having somehow found his way into her arms.

“My dad and the guards are coming, we've got to get out of here!” shouted Cassandra.

“What's the rush?” asked the hook-handed thug. “You're not fugitives yourselves, are you?”

“No, but if my dad finds me before I find Rider, he'll send me to a convent... probably,” said Cassandra, bowing her head.

“I dunno,” said the helmeted bartender. “Trip to a convent might do you a little good...”

Cassandra looked around and could see that all the thugs were glaring at her... none too happy with her violent behavior and threats to send them all to prison. She sighed and slumped her shoulders, but soon felt a gentle hand on one of them.

“Look,” said Rapunzel, smiling and pulling Cassandra close. “She's just in a really desperate position... and she's sorry that she beat all of you up, so could you please help us out?”

Rapunzel then turned to Cassandra, and whispered in her ear.

“You were really mean back there,” she whispered softly. “I know you're not a bad person, you just wanted to find Flynn Rider... but attacking these people was uncalled for, and you know it...”

Cassandra looked around at the thugs... no, not thugs... dreamers, with all sorts of interests and lives beyond crime and fighting. She could feel remorse welling up inside her, and even without Rapunzel's encouragement, she knew she owed them an apology.

“Okay,” she said with a sigh. “I... I'm really sorry I attacked you. I won't make excuses for my behavior... the only thug in this pub today was me.”

“Well, I told you the truth when I said none of us here have seen Flynn Rider,” said the bartender. “He barely even comes around here, and usually gets himself kicked out. He's got a friend we're pretty fond of though, maybe you could go looking for him.”

“What's his name?” asked Rapunzel.

“Lance Strongbow,” said the bartender, “but he hasn't been around these parts in a while.”

“Works for me,” said Cassandra. “In the meantime, we'll head for the city... we don't have much time to waste.”

The hook-handed thug gestured toward a secret area under the bar, leading toward an escape tunnel.

“Go... live your dream,” he said, as they both looked down into the tunnel.

“You mean the one that involves seeing you swing from a rope?” Cassandra asked with a smirk.

“Cassandra!” shouted Rapunzel.

“Sorry,” she whispered back. “Force of habit.”

“Your dream stinks,” said the thug.

“So do you,” replied Cassandra, earning another glare from Rapunzel. “I'm not apologizing for that one.”

“Thanks for everything,” said Rapunzel sweetly, kissing the thug on the cheek before sliding down into the tunnel with Cassandra. “Cass, we really have to work on your people skills.”

“Hey, I'm not the one who's been spending all of her time in a tower,” said Cassandra, glaring at her.

“And yet I still won them over way faster than you,” replied Rapunzel. “That should probably give you something to think about.”

Cassandra could sense the anger in Rapunzel's voice as the two started down the escape tunnel... she kept thinking about back there, and how she'd been so quick to judge the thugs while Rapunzel had warmed up to them so quickly... maybe she'd been picking up the wrong lessons from her dad, or just from living in Corona in general.

_Dad always said show no mercy to criminals... it was a criminal who took the lost princess, and we can't let another tragedy like that happen again. But maybe... maybe we're seeing things all wrong? ...I wish the lost princess had never been taken in the first place. Maybe things would be different... maybe I wouldn't see the world in such a black and white way. Maybe... maybe the lost princess and I could've been friends?_

Cassandra followed after Rapunzel, and continued to feel embarrassed about her actions in the Snuggly Duckling. She promised herself that she'd try to keep an open mind in the future... but she also kept her mind focused on her goal.

_Catch Flynn Rider. Protect Rapunzel. Get her home safe. Join the guard..._

She still prioritized catching Flynn Rider above everything else, even though she was feeling closer and closer to Rapunzel. She wouldn't let anything get in the way of her goal.

Her dream.

Her destiny.

O-O-O

Back at the Snuggly Duckling, the Captain of the Guard was furious as he approached the bar with his fellow guards and a pair of prisoners in tow. The Stabbington Brothers, their wrists shackled in front of them, glowered at the pub thugs, who they saw as being weak and cowardly for having dreams of anything other than crime. Outside the pub, the royal horse Maximus had been hitched to a post... next to Fidella, who the guards had spotted running through the forest without a rider.

“Look,” said the bartender. “I don't know anything about Flynn Rider.”

“I'm not asking about Rider,” said the Captain.

He grabbed the barkeep by his collar, yanking him with such force that he was pulled across the bar. He looked fiercely into the barkeep's eyes, his teeth gritted in anger.

“Where's my daughter?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I've Got A Dream” is, of course, not mine! It was written by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, only the Cassandra verse at the end belongs to me!


	3. Daughters

The tunnel under the Snuggly Duckling was dark and dank, and Cassandra held a torch out in front of her as she and Rapunzel navigated its depths. The pub's owners kept casks of liquor in the caves below, and Cassandra was careful not to get too close to them, lest she ignite any stray fumes from leaking barrels. Rapunzel stuck close to her, though the two weren't talking, or even looking at one another, as they walked through the cave... Cassandra still felt slightly guilty about her actions up above, and she imagined Rapunzel was still upset with her. Finally, she decided to break the ice with another apology, hoping it would mend things between the two of them so they could continue on their journey and work as an effective team.

“Raps... sorry again for losing my cool back there,” said Cassandra, using the lantern to illuminate her face to show her sincere contrition. “Not just for hurting those guys, but for putting you in a dangerous situation... I shouldn't have asked you to fight my battle for me.”

“Don't worry about it,” Rapunzel said with a smile, placing her hand on Cassandra's shoulder. “Besides, I already agreed to help you fight one battle.”

Cassandra was surprised to see that Rapunzel's smile had returned so quickly... her own grudges usually lasted a lot longer, but Rapunzel was quick to forgive... and once again, Cassandra found herself split between being genuinely touched and being disturbed that her traveling companion was so naïve.

“Yeah, well... I'll try to be... nicer, from now on,” said Cassandra. Her lantern's light briefly caught a glimpse of a skeleton pinned to the wall by a sword, and she raised her eyebrow at it before silently wondering what other fights must've taken place down here. She looked at Rapunzel, expecting some kind of shriek and a jump, but Rapunzel seemed more curious than anything. “I just really want to find Flynn Rider is all... I have to prove to my dad that I can handle being in the Guard.”

“Speaking of which, is that the reason you want to be captain?” asked Rapunzel. “I heard your song... it was nice, before the whole threatening to throw everyone into prison thing.”

Cassandra and Rapunzel shared a quick laugh.

“See, the thing is, my dad's not just any old guard,” said Cassandra. “He's the Captain of Corona's royal guard, and he has been for a long time... even since before the lost princess was taken. I think the reason he's so hard on me is because he's so hard on himself... he blames himself for the princess being taken, and maybe he doesn't want it to happen to me. I mean, what about you? Did something happen, is that why your mom is so scared you'll leave?”

“I... honestly don't like to talk about it much,” said Rapunzel, looking away from Cassandra and running a hand through her hair.

“Oh... I'm sorry, I just thought-”

“No, it's okay, I know what you're thinking,” said Rapunzel, looking back up at Cassandra.

“What am I thinking?”

“You're wondering why I haven't left the tower before,” Rapunzel said. Cassandra started to say something, then stopped and nodded, and continued to walk with the lantern up to Rapunzel's face as she continued. “Mother's done so much for me, and she keeps me safe...”

“But you're not some weak little girl who can't defend herself,” said Cassandra. “I mean, don't get me wrong, you're way too nice, and naïve to a fault...”

“Hey!” Rapunzel replied, putting her hands on her hips.

“But... you were able to get the jump on me, and you're pretty good with tossing that hair. You might need a guide, but I get the sense that you're smart enough to figure things out pretty quickly.”

“I know,” said Rapunzel, before putting a hand up to her mouth and blushing. “I mean-”

“And don't be so modest,” said Cassandra, gently taking Rapunzel's wrist and lowering her hand from her face. “I think-”

This time, Cassandra was the one to get interrupted... not by Rapunzel, but by the sound of something coming through the tunnel. Cassandra turned, and could see a lit torch behind them, coming up fast.

“No... it's my dad!” shouted Cassandra, keeping her hold on Rapunzel's hand so she could help her along. “Run!”

The two began to run together, staying just ahead of the guards, who were accompanied by Maximus and Fidella. They quickly made their way out of the tunnel and out into the open... and had quickly come to a dead end. Below them was a large rock quarry, with a cave at the other end. They ran to the edge of the cliff and stopped... giving the guards more than enough time to catch up.

“Cassandra!” shouted the captain, realizing who he'd been chasing. “What are you doing out here?”

Cassandra let out a long sigh of resignation, her shoulders slumping. Rapunzel looked at her, and gestured toward a wooden overhang above the two of them.

“No,” said Cassandra, extending her hand. “I have to face him.”

Cassandra turned, looking over at her father and his guards as Rapunzel stood there, holding all of her hair in her hands.

“I'm going after Flynn Rider,” said Cassandra. “I thought that if I could catch him and bring him in, I could prove to you that I belong in the royal guard.”

“Catching Flynn Rider is the royal guard's job,” replied her father sternly, stepping forward. “I already told you, you're not ready to be in the guard.”

“Then when am I going to be?” shouted Cassandra. “I passed all the trials... six times! I can beat almost every member of the guard in hand to hand combat, I'm trained with fourteen different weapons, and you've taught me everything you know! And yet year after year, I'm passed over for recruits way younger and less experienced than me!”

“You'll be ready when I say you're ready, and you're not ready,” said the captain. “Now come home with me, you've had me worried sick! When we found Fidella wandering alone, I thought the worst, and we called off our search for Rider to look for you!”

“What about the Stabbington Brothers?” asked Cassandra. “Didn't you catch them, don't they know where Rider is?”

“They... they got away!” shouted the captain.

“Because your idiot guards let them!” Cassandra fired back.

“Because I was distracted asking about you!”

“Oh sure, blame me for you screwing up and letting the fugitives get away!”

“Now you listen here, young lady!”

Rapunzel's eyes darted back and forth as Cassandra argued with her father about their current situation... she'd argued with Gothel before about leaving the tower, but it had never gotten this loud before... of course, that was because Rapunzel had never openly defied her mother like this before. She stepped forward to intervene, but this simply made Cassandra step forward as well, clearly not wanting Rapunzel or anyone else involved in this.

“You need to come back to the palace!” shouted the captain.

“I'm a grown woman, and I can go wherever I want!” Cassandra shouted back.

“If you want to have any chance of being allowed to join the royal guard someday, you'll do as I tell you!”

“As if I have any chance of joining the royal guard at all with you being like this!”

“I told you before, Cassandra, your chance will come, you just have to wait your turn-”

“Wait?” Cassandra said, gritting her teeth fiercely and continuing to walk forward until she and her father were just a few feet apart. “I'm sick of you telling me to wait! Every single year I try to join the royal guard, and every year you pass over me for people like him... or him... or gods, HIM!”

Cassandra was pointing to a member of the royal guard who looked even younger than she was, and who was picking his nose, though a stern look from the captain quickly straightened him up.

“I'm going to catch Flynn Rider, and when I do, you'll have no choice but to let me in the royal guard, and if you don't, I'm going to take the bounty money and I'm going to leave Corona and become a bounty hunter and you won't be able to stop me!”

“Cassandra, let's just talk about this,” said the captain.

“There's nothing to talk about,” Cassandra replied, starting to turn away from him. He gave a sad sigh, bowing his head and trying to think of what to do. He looked at Fidella and Maximus, and when Fidella began to walk toward Cassandra, he held the horse's reins to keep her back.

“If you won't come back on your own, I have no choice but to have you arrested for your own safety,” said the captain.

“What?” shouted Cassandra, turning back toward her father. “You can't do that.”

“You might not be a member of the guard, but as a recruit in training, I'm still your commanding officer, and I'm ordering you back to the palace, now,” said the captain. “And if you won't come willingly, you're officially AWOL.”

_He's really serious,_ thought Cassandra, her eyes widening in shock as her own father stepped forward to arrest her.

“You can't do that!” Rapunzel repeated. “How can you arrest your own daughter?”

“Like this,” said the captain, his voice lined with sadness but still stern and dutiful. “Men, seize her!”

“But... sir, she's-”

“Did you hear what I said? Seize her, now!” shouted the captain. “Cassandra, someday you'll thank me for this.”

The guards stepped forward reluctantly, though the captain held himself back, not willing to arrest his daughter on his own.

“Just... don't hurt her,” said the captain. Cassandra stepped back, watching as the three guards came toward her. She looked at Rapunzel.

“Raps, get out of here,” Cassandra said. “This is my fight, I can't have you involved in this.”

“But-”

“It's okay, I'll be right behind you,” replied Cassandra, unsheathing her sword. She looked at her sword, then looked at the captain's men. “Ugh, I can't use a sword on them, they might get hurt... you know, worse than I'd like for them to get hurt.”

“Here,” said Rapunzel, offering her frying pan to Cassandra. Cassandra looked at it, then looked back at the guards advancing on her and quickly sheathed her sword and grabbed the pan. Rapunzel tossed her hair out onto the plank of wood, looping around it and taking one last look at Cassandra.

“I'll be okay, go,” she said. Rapunzel nodded, then swung out over the gap to safety. Cassandra looked at the guards, then charged them, frying pan in hand. They all seemed reluctant to swing their swords at her, but she had no such qualms about swinging that frying pan, and with supreme agility and skill, swung the pan into all three of them in succession, knocking them out in a matter of seconds. “I can see why she likes this so much... okay, dad, think I'm royal guard material now?”

“They were holding back!” shouted the captain.

“Just like you've always held me back?” Cassandra yelled back, resentment and sorrow lining her voice as she faced down her father.

“I just want to keep you safe!” the captain replied.

“Then why'd you start training me in the first place? Dangle a dream out in front of me, and when I'm old enough to finally realize it, you snatch it away? Do you have any _idea_ how cruel that is?!”

The captain winced as he listened to the pain in Cassandra's voice, and part of him knew that she was right... to train her this much, to fill her mind with dreams of being part of the royal guard and then to keep her from achieving those dreams was cruel... but he had never intended for it to get this far. He'd begun training her when she was young, when she'd listen to his story of the lost princess and express how she wanted to grow big and strong so she could save her someday... he thought it'd be a fun little game to train her with wooden swords, but never imagined she'd be so talented, that she'd take to it like it was second nature to her. The better she got, the more he wanted to train her, to see how far she could go... but he always thought she'd find a new dream, something else that would pull her away from the guard, away from the danger... but she'd only grown stronger, more determined, and soon, he had to pull strings to keep her out. Now, it seemed, she was determined to get into the guard no matter what, and would risk her life to achieve her goal. For any other recruit, it would have been admirable. For his daughter, the only child he had, or would ever have... it was horrifying.

“Cassandra, you're not ready... and all of this running around behind my back only proves it. Come back with me, or I'll take you back.”

“You wouldn't,” said Cassandra. Her father stepped forward, and she pointed the frying pan at him... but unlike when she brandished it against the other guards, her hand was trembling... almost to the point of dropping the pan. “....you won't....”

“I love you, and I'll do what I must to protect you,” said the captain. The other guards were getting up, and though they'd been rattled by the frying pan strikes, they were more than capable of restraining Cassandra with the captain's help... while Cassandra, who might have been physically capable of taking her father down, would never be willing to strike him.

“Cass!” shouted Rapunzel to Cassandra, who stood petrified as her father held out a pair of shackles toward her.

“You have no idea how much I don't want to do this,” said the captain, lifting the shackles up toward Cassandra's trembling hands.

“Dad,” said Cassandra, her voice lowered to a whisper. “Don't...”

He lifted the shackles toward Cassandra, but before he could put them on her, her arms were trapped with something else... a loop of golden hair, wrapping around her entire midsection and yanking her from the ledge. As Cassandra disappeared with a scream, the captain looked up to see Rapunzel pulling his daughter away.

“After her!” the captain shouted, unsheathing his sword and pointing it at the blonde. Maximus and the other guards quickly gave chase, while Fidella followed reluctantly, more concerned with Cassandra's fate than with assisting the captain.

Meanwhile, Cassandra found herself being pulled upwards, onto the ledge where Rapunzel was standing. She was still stunned as Rapunzel unwrapped the hair from her body, and didn't stop until a gentle hand went to her shoulder.

“Are you okay?” asked Rapunzel. Cassandra nodded, and wordlessly handed back the frying pan. “I'm so sorry...”

“I can't believe he'd actually try to arrest me,” replied Cassandra, looking back at her father across the gap. She could see the sadness in his eyes, but also the determination to bring her in, and she looked back at Rapunzel. “We have to catch Flynn Rider now... if we don't come back with him, my dad's going to treat me like a child for the rest of my life.”

“In that case, we'd better keep going!” said Rapunzel. She pointed to Maximus, who had just kicked over one of the nearby dam's wooden support beams to create a makeshift bridge. “That is one determined horse!”

“Tell me about it,” groaned Cassandra, rolling her eyes and refocusing her attention back on the cave below. “I think maybe he's just trying to impress Fidella, he's had a crush on her ever since I first started riding her.”

“Awww,” cooed Rapunzel, smiling sweetly at the thought of the two horses in love. “That is the sweetest-”

“Hurry!” shouted Cassandra, pointing out that Maximus was nearly across the bridge. 

“Right!” Rapunzel said, looping her hair around a narrow wooden drainage canal leading from the dam. “Cass, hold on tight!”

Cassandra nodded, and grabbed tightly onto Rapunzel, who leaped from the stone platform the two were standing on. The two began to fall toward the bottom of the ravine, their combined weight causing planks and supports to begin splintering from the canal. They swung toward the tunnel together, but with Cassandra clinging to Rapunzel, it was difficult for the blonde to fall at a favorable angle, and Cassandra adjusted herself to help. Rapunzel was able to come down smoothly, gliding through the water to a skillful stop, but Cassandra fell much harder, her foot hitting awkwardly and causing her to lose her grip on Rapunzel and fall away. Rapunzel gasped, and turned just in time to see Cassandra writhing on the ground in obvious pain, holding her ankle tightly. She grabbed her hair as she ran back, and could see the guards dashing toward them.

“Cassandra!” shouted the captain, serious concern in his voice as he watched Cassandra clutch her ankle. 

For the briefest of moments, Cassandra thought of going to him, if only to ease his fears, but instead, she accepted Rapunzel's hand and stumbled along with her, trying her best not to aggravate her injury further. As the two began to run, with the guard in hot pursuit, they could hear a tremendous crashing from behind them... their swing from the canal, combined with Maximus' kick, had been all that was necessary to cause the dam to fail, and soon, a tremendous wave of water was rushing at all of them. The water had enough strength to knock over a nearby rock formation, and Rapunzel and Cassandra dashed toward the cave, their only way to safety. Cassandra looked back toward the guards, and to her horse Fidella.

“Dad!” shouted Cassandra, reaching out to him even as she and Rapunzel fled toward the cave. She was still upset with him for trying to arrest her, but she was also terrified that he and the other guards would be killed by the torrent of water... especially since she'd be the one to blame if they were. _This is all my fault... I should never have left the palace...!_

Fortunately, Maximus and Fidella, who were also caught up in the water, were quick enough thinkers and good enough swimmers to help the captain and his guards to the safety of a ledge. That didn't help Rapunzel and Cassandra, who soon found themselves inside the cave, but trapped by the falling stone formation... which had sealed them in, but not tightly enough to prevent the water from rushing in after them.

As the two fled toward the back of the cave, which was also blocked off with stone, they found themselves completely trapped, with no way out in any direction. Rapunzel tried to use her frying pan to dislodge some rocks, and Cassandra scanned the walls for an exit, but they had nothing, and the water was rising quickly. The only relief was that Cassandra no longer had to stand or run on her injured ankle, which she was sure she'd aggravated further in her mad dash to the cave. She and Rapunzel were now treading water, and it was still rising... fast enough to drown them in minutes.

“Dammit,” whispered Cassandra, the terror in her voice increasing as the water continued to rise. She started to dive under, but came up quickly, coughing and sputtering up water. “I can't dive down deep enough to see if there's a way out... gods help me, I can't even swim.”

Her father had been confident enough to train Cassandra in swordsmanship, but had never taught her to swim, and had always kept her away from the water, fearing she'd drown... she drew comfort in the fact that she'd seen Fidella push him to safety as the rock had fallen to close up the cave, but it was cold comfort as she looked to see Rapunzel pressing herself against the cave wall, breathing heavily, her eyes more terrified than even Cassandra's were.

The two looked at one another, and Rapunzel's fear faded slightly, replaced with determination to get them both out of this. She dove under... Cassandra had to resist the instinct to stop her... she couldn't imagine Rapunzel knew how to swim any better than she did, and as the seconds ticked by, she feared the worst... but she waited until Rapunzel finally came back up, gasping and shaking her head.

“It's... it's too dark down there, I can't see anything!” shouted Rapunzel. Cassandra almost wanted to ask her how she knew how to swim so well despite having never come out of that tower, but instead, she just reached up and wiped the water from Rapunzel's face, trying to comfort her by staying calm.

“It's... it's okay, Raps,” said Cassandra, not only trying to calm down Rapunzel but to stay calm herself. The water was still rising, nearly up to their necks... they didn't have much time even to talk, let alone escape. “I don't know how we're going to get out of this... honestly, I've got nothing.”

Rapunzel began to sniffle, and then sob, quietly crying as Cassandra's hand continued to rest on her face. She looked into Cassandra's eyes with grief and despair, seeing in Cassandra the brave person she wanted to be... standing up to her own father, like Rapunzel wanted to stand up to Gothel. Cassandra was the most inspiring person she'd ever met, and now, she was about to be drowned... because Rapunzel had forced her along on this star-struck journey.

“This is all my fault,” said Rapunzel, looking away from Cassandra. “She was right, I never should have done this.”

“No,” Cassandra immediately replied, turning Rapunzel's gaze back toward hers. “Don't _ever_ say that.”

“But if I hadn't brought you out here, we wouldn't be in this mess... I'm so sorry, Cass.”

“And if I hadn't brought you to that stupid dive bar...” Cassandra started, before laughing darkly and shaking her head. “I'm such a hypocrite, now I'm doing it... blaming myself after I told you not to. It's true, though... you asked me to protect you, and some protector I turned out to be. Started a bar fight, couldn't even swing a frying pan at my dad, can't even swim... I haven't even told anyone in the guard I can't swim, I'd never hear the end of it.”

Rapunzel managed a giggle, despite herself... even as the waters continued to rise, nearly covering up their chins, she was trying to find some bit of joy in the hopelessness around them... and since she'd learned something about Cassandra, she decided to share too, since it'd probably be the last thing she'd ever get to share.

“I have magical hair that glows when I sing,” said Rapunzel with a smile and a shrug.

Cassandra raised her eyebrow. She knew Rapunzel's hair was long... unnaturally long. But magical, and glowing? She didn't know if her companion was trying to give her a laugh, but it worked... Cassandra giggled, somewhat embarrassed that she'd done so, but grateful to have one final laugh before she and Rapunzel met their fate. However, in that secret was the spark of recognition... and Rapunzel repeated herself.

“I have... magical hair... that glows when I sing!” shouted Rapunzel, as the water continued to rush up to cover their faces. Taking a deep breath, she began singing quickly, as Cassandra watched in bewildered wonder. “Flower, gleam and glow, let your powers shine...”

It was all Rapunzel could get out before the water rushed over them, but it was all she needed... her hair lit up, glowing brightly as the two began to float under the water. Cassandra bit her tongue to keep from gasping in astonishment and sucking in water, but her cheeks puffed out and her eyes went as wide as they could be as she watched Rapunzel's hair light up and point the way to salvation... a cluster of rocks blocking an exit in the corner of the cave. Rapunzel started to swim over as Cassandra helplessly floated, though she quickly tied some of her hair around Cassandra to pull her along, and the two worked together at clearing the rocks before Cassandra's hand emerged from the rubble. Soon, several more rocks were cleared, and the water, and the two women, fell out into the safety of a nearby pond. Rapunzel helped Cassandra reach the shore, and the two climbed out of the water, coughing and sputtering. Pascal emerged with them, coughing as well and clinging tightly to Rapunzel, who was also holding her frying pan in one hand while using her other to cling to the shore.

“...how did you do that?” gasped Cassandra, looking over at Rapunzel. Rapunzel, still stunned just to be alive, was whispering quietly to herself, oblivious to Cassandra's query. “The thing with your hair... how... how?!”

Rapunzel assisted Cassandra out of the water, but as soon as Cassandra tried to stand, an intense pain in her right ankle reminded her of the lingering effects of their ordeal. Her ankle wasn't just sprained, it was broken... every attempt to walk even a single step brought enormous pain, and she surmised that it was only through adrenaline that she'd been able to make the sprint to that cave in the first place. Now that she was safe, that adrenaline was gone, and only the searing injury remained... she could barely stand, let alone catch Flynn Rider or take Rapunzel anywhere. 

“Cassandra?” said Rapunzel, kneeling next to her companion. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I'm fine,” said Cassandra, taking another step and collapsing back to one knee. “Aaaah! No, I'm not!”

Cassandra gritted her teeth, then spat out a strong swear.

“Language!” scolded Rapunzel. 

Cassandra repeated the swear, much more quietly, and Rapunzel rolled her eyes before taking off Cassandra's boot to inspect the injured ankle. It was badly bruised, and the bone underneath was distended... she needed immediate medical attention and three months in a cast. She winced as she looked at it, grimacing in pain as Rapunzel inspected the injury.

“It looks really bad,” said Rapunzel, her concern and sympathy apparent as she tried to calm Cassandra with the gentle sound of her voice.

“Enough about my ankle, what about your hair?” asked Cassandra. She stood up, and began limping toward a nearby clearing, where the two could set up camp and where she could try to find some branches to make a splint. “I just saw it glow... how does it do that, and how long has it been doing that, and... how does it do that?”

“That's not all it does,” replied Rapunzel, gently placing her hands on Cassandra's arms and trying to get her to sit down.

“We need to set up camp,” said Cassandra. “Don't worry about me.”

“Sit down,” replied Rapunzel, her voice gentle but insistent. “I need you to trust me.”

“...why?” asked Cassandra. “Not that I don't trust you, but what am I trusting you with?”

Cassandra could see Pascal perched on her shoulder, and a sly smile on the chameleon's face. 

“What else does your hair do?” asked Cassandra. 

Rapunzel smiled and began to wrap a strand of her hair around Cassandra's injured ankle. Cassandra didn't try to stop her, but had a skeptical look as she felt the soft hair on her bruised skin. It didn't hurt, and actually felt kind of good, the silky strands against her bruise... but it definitely didn't feel good when Rapunzel tightened the strand around it.

“Aaaaaaaah! F- ...fff....fudge, Rapunzel, that's not helping!”

“Sorry,” said Rapunzel, an apologetic smile on her face. “Just don't... don't freak out.”

“Well, I can't see how this is going to make my broken ankle any worse,” groaned Cassandra. “What are you going to-”

“Flower, gleam and glow...” Rapunzel began to sing, making her hair illuminate again. Cassandra's eyes widened, and Rapunzel continued. “Let your powers shine... make the clock reverse... bring back what once was mine...”

Cassandra could see golden light flowing from Rapunzel's hair, toward the strands wrapped around her ankle, and though she was still extremely nervous and skeptical about what was happening, just stayed still and let it happen, watching in awe as Rapunzel's song continued.

“Heal what has been hurt... change the fates' design... save what has been lost... bring back what once was mine... what once was mine...”

Cassandra felt the pain in her ankle immediately begin to subside, and as the song concluded, the dull ache dissolved into nothing, and even briefly became a soothing warmth. She reached down and unwrapped the hair from around her ankle, and instead of an ugly purple bruise and distended skin, she saw nothing... her skin was back to its normal pale color, and the bone seemed to be completely back in place... she reached down and pressed her finger into it, and felt no pain at all. She let out a slight gasp.

“Please don't freak out!” Rapunzel shouted. Cassandra stood up, taking a quick hop. She laughed... then she stood on her bare foot... then did another hop. She let out an exclamation of surprise and joy... then she began to jog in place. She unsheathed her sword and did a few practice fencing moves, putting her weight completely on the formerly injured foot... not even a twinge.

“Raps, this.... aaaaaaaaaah!” Cassandra shrieked with joy, dropping her sword and wrapping her arms tightly around Rapunzel in an embrace, even lifting her up off the ground. As freaked out as she was, she was mostly just... happy, happy to have her ankle back to normal, happy to be able to walk and run and fight again... and had Rapunzel to thank, even if she didn't understand how. “This kind of magic, I've only seen it in storybooks, I can't believe it!”

“Well... it's real!” exclaimed Rapunzel, smiling nervously as Cassandra continued to hug her. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I feel great, I just...” Cassandra set Rapunzel down, and the weight of what she'd just experienced finally hit her. She looked at Rapunzel, then back down at her ankle, then at Rapunzel again. “That's what your hair does? It glows and it... heals people?”

“Yeah,” said Rapunzel sheepishly, running her hand through it. 

“That's amazing,” Cassandra replied. She sat back down, and put her boot back on her foot, and tried to think about everything she'd just witnessed, still not completely believing it all.

“Mother says when I was a baby, people tried to cut it,” said Rapunzel. “They wanted to take it for themselves.”

She showed Cassandra a strand of brown hair, where someone had attempted to cut it off. 

“But once it's cut, it turns brown and loses its power,” said Rapunzel. “A gift like that... it has to be protected.”

“I can imagine,” replied Cassandra, her mind racing. “An army with someone like you... they'd be unstoppable. They could send soldiers into battle on suicide charges, and after the enemy counterattack, you could heal them all... depleting the enemy's numbers by attrition while-”

Rapunzel was wincing at Cassandra's suggestion... clearly disturbed by the implication. Cassandra shook her head and immediately walked back her words, hoping Rapunzel hadn't gotten the wrong idea.

“Sorry... I was thinking with a soldier's mindset, but... no, it would be wrong to use you like that... it would be wrong for anyone to use you like that, Rapunzel. I didn't mean-”

“It's okay... mother asks me to heal her too,” said Rapunzel, smiling. “I use my hair to keep her healthy and young... she's got an illness, you see, and my hair keeps it at bay... that's why mother never let me... that's why I never left, and...”

Rapunzel trailed off, and Cassandra reached over and took her hand. She didn't have to say it... she already knew what Rapunzel was implying.

_That's why you never left that tower. Your mother... she needs you... or at least... she says she does..._

Rapunzel could see Cassandra's expression changing from concerned to skeptical. Rapunzel felt Cassandra's grip on her hand tighten, and she looked to see Cassandra's eyes go back to concern... and also resolve.

“I understand why you want to help your mother,” said Cassandra. “But whatever her health situation is, she has no right to force you to stay in that tower. No one does. No one has the right to tell you to do anything you don't want to do, or to use you or your hair for any reason. If you want to help people, that's your choice, but it's your choice alone, and if your mother tries to stop you, you need to tell her off.”

“But... she's my mother, I can't just abandon her,” replied Rapunzel, looking away and bowing her head in shame.

“So you're still going back?” asked Cassandra.

“No,” replied Rapunzel.

“Good,” said Cassandra.

“...yes? Maybe?”

Cassandra sighed, and bowed her head.

“It's complicated,” said Rapunzel, putting her head in her hands.

“It doesn't sound complicated to me,” replied Cassandra. “...but... I have no right to tell you what to do either.”

“No... you're right, it's just...” Rapunzel sighed, looking back up at Cassandra. “What about you? You still want to be in the royal guard, after your father tried to arrest you?”

“We're... going to have some words about that next time we see each other,” said Cassandra, still looking slightly resentful. “But... yeah, I'd still like to be. He's just... really overprotective, that's all. I mean, I can sort of get why your mother would be trying to protect you, because of the hair, even though she still has no right to keep you locked up. But me? He knows I can look after myself, and he's still trying to keep me cooped up in the palace, or threatening to send me off to a convent! He'd rather drag me back to the palace in chains than let me go after one little thief, and it's just so... infuriating!”

Cassandra seethed angrily, and felt Rapunzel's gentle hand on her back. She looked over at Rapunzel and her expression instantly softened... it was difficult to stay upset around someone so kind and gentle, and Rapunzel's eyes were warm and understanding... it calmed Cassandra, and she decided to open up even more.

“The thing is, the captain's not even my real father,” said Cassandra. “I mean, he _is_ my real father, he raised me and everything, but... truth is, he adopted me. I don't know who my real parents are... he said he found me when I was four. I should have memories from before then, but I don't, and I don't know why... it's almost as if... as if I blocked everything out from before he adopted me, like something back there's too painful to remember. Either way, he's the only father I've ever known, and I love him, even after that stupid stunt he pulled back there. I know he loves me, he's just scared to death to lose me... he already lost one child, he doesn't want to lose another.”

“He... did?” asked Rapunzel. “How did it happen?”

“A few years before dad adopted me, before he became captain, he was just a regular guard... and he was engaged to a woman, who was pregnant with his child. He was really looking forward to being a dad... then one day, he gets called off on a mission. While he was gone, bandits broke into their house... she tried to keep them from stealing his father's sword, and there was a struggle...”

Cassandra bowed her head.

“She fell, and the bandits fled... she saved the sword, but the fall caused her to go into labor early... he rushed back just in time to see her die... and they couldn't save the baby.”

Cassandra's face was sad, but she didn't shed a tear. Rapunzel did, and Cassandra reached up to wipe it away.

“After that, dad threw himself into his training, and within a year, he was captain, determined never to let anyone else get hurt like he did. He told me... he told me I was his second chance...”

“Cass, he shouldn't put that burden on you,” said Rapunzel. “And you shouldn't put that burden on yourself.”

“What burden?” asked Cassandra.

“Of trying to protect everyone like he wants to,” said Rapunzel. “It sounds like that's his dream, not yours.”

“No... it's my dream too,” replied Cassandra. “Actually, that's the thing... he's the one who just wants to protect Corona. I want to get out there and see the world... and who knows, maybe save the world while I'm at it. I... I know it's just a silly dream... saving the world from what, bandits, ruffians, thugs? When I was a little girl, I wanted to find the lost princess and save her... that's why dad started training me in the first place. I... I've put that lost princess dream aside, but I guess I still want to do it, see the world and save everyone, you know?”

“Well... sounds to me like you don't need the royal guard to do that... why don't you just go?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” replied Cassandra with a smirk.

  
“Ah ah ah, don't change the subject, I asked first,” said Rapunzel. Cassandra sighed and started thinking, then sighed again, having come up with an answer, but not necessarily a satisfying one.

“Guess I just... feel like I owe my dad,” replied Cassandra. “Join the guard and make sure he's okay... become captain, and then... then...”

Cassandra sighed again, bowing her head. It was clear that she was just as worried to leave her father as Rapunzel was to leave her mother. She looked up at Rapunzel, who was clearly enthralled with Cassandra's dream and wanted her to continue, but Cassandra wasn't in the mood to keep explaining herself.

“Raps, you told me once that if you make a promise, you never break it, right?”

“Never,” said Rapunzel, nodding her head.

“Then I want you to promise me something. The next time you see your mother, you'll tell her that you can leave the tower whenever you want, and she can't tell you what to do anymore. You don't have to leave her behind, you can even take her with you, but when you go back to that tower, I want you to promise me you'll tell her what I said. ...okay?”

“I....”

For a brief moment, Rapunzel looked ready... Cassandra had inspired her, and even though she wasn't sure if her new friend was even ready to leave her dad behind, she was still inspired by Cassandra's courage and determination, and wanted more than anything to say that she would tell Gothel that she was going to leave the tower... but... then she thought of how sad Gothel would be, and how alone... and everything her mother had done for her.

“I... I can't, Cassandra,” said Rapunzel.

“But why?”

“Because I can't make a promise that I won't keep,” she continued. “Look... I want more than anything to see the lanterns, and maybe go on more adventures... but I still don't know if I'm ready to leave mother behind. She still needs me, and maybe... I still need her. I'll remember what you said, but I just don't know if I'm ready to tell her that just yet. ...I hope you're not mad.”

“No, Rapunzel, I'm not mad, just...” Cassandra started to say 'disappointed', but she couldn't, and she wouldn't. She'd be a hypocrite if she did, after all. _I have no right to tell her what to do either. I hate that she feels like she can't leave her mother, but I can't force her to leave... I just hope she finds the courage to tell her off soon._

Cassandra stood up and sighed. The sun was setting... she needed to go find some firewood, and she also needed to be alone with her thoughts. This had been a difficult day... but at times, also an amazing one. She'd met Rapunzel, who had turned out to be sweet, intelligent, brave, beautiful... Cassandra shook her head, thinking about that last one, trying to ignore how that seventy feet of blonde hair shimmered in the moonlight, or how Rapunzel's eyes sparkled when she smiled.

She tried to ignore the fact that Rapunzel's hair was magical beyond anything Cassandra had ever seen before, capable of healing a fatal wound, or an entire army... and how she feared her mother had been taking advantage of that fact for the last eighteen years.

“Cass, where are you going?”

“Just need to stretch my legs a bit,” she said, managing a smile. “You'll be okay, right?”

“Of course,” said Rapunzel, playfully flexing her arm. “I'm a big strong girl after all.”

Cassandra's smile grew, and she even blushed slightly, before concealing her face with her hand as she disappeared into a cluster of trees. She began to look around, glimpsing the moon's first light and thinking of her earlier confrontation with her father. She still couldn't believe he'd tried to arrest her... then again, she couldn't believe what she was doing either. This was the first time she'd actually rebelled against him, and though she tried not to compare her struggles with her father to Rapunzel's struggles to defy her mother and leave the tower, she found many parallels with their lives despite the relative freedom she'd been given.

More than anything, Cassandra wanted her father to be proud of her. He'd raised her to be strong, to pull her own weight, to be brave and steadfast in battle and to always protect the weak. From the moment she'd first begun her training as a young girl, to her numerous attempts at the royal guard induction drills, to her attempt to catch Flynn Rider, she'd always tried to prove herself to her father, and she thought she had, but all she managed to do today was convince him that she needed even more boundaries, more restrictions.

_If I don't catch Flynn Rider soon, I'll be sent to a convent. Hell, even if I do catch him..._

Cassandra looked up at the moon again, as the last of the sun's light faded from the sky. She thought back to what Rapunzel said earlier... why didn't she just run away the first time she got the chance? Why did she even need the royal guard, when adventure was just outside the kingdom's walls? She had no right to tell Rapunzel what to do, when she couldn't even follow her own advice.

Was her destiny to join the royal guard, or was it something greater? Cassandra looked down at her hands again, and as she did, her thoughts began to spill out in song.

_Guess we all are born with parts to play_

_Some of us are stars, and some are just in the way_

_I know I was meant for glory_

_But that's never what my story brings_

_And yet I keep on waiting_

Cassandra thought back once again to the story of the lost princess, back to a dream she'd had when she was a young girl... finding the princess trapped in a dungeon, and battling a scary guard to get the key to unlock her. She unlocked the cell, and opened the door, and felt the warmth of the young princess' embrace for just a moment before waking in her bed with nothing but empty hands and an empty heart.

_When you have the passion and the drive_

_You expect your moment center stage to arrive_

_I shall walk with heart a-blazing_

_Ready to achieve amazing things_

_But I'm left waiting in the wings_

Cassandra unsheathed her sword, tracing the first steps she'd ever learned from her father. She stepped forward, slashing through the air, turning and slashing again, remembering how proud she was the first time her father had complimented her during a lesson. In those moments, she saw her destiny laid out in front of her... she'd become the youngest recruit ever to make the royal guard, and then lead the mission to rescue the lost princess... only later, that mission changed direction, she'd lead the group that would take down the kingdom's fiercest criminals, but still she'd be leading the charge, bravely stepping into battle.

_I hear my cue and yet I'm kept there waiting_

_Know what to do and still I stand there waiting_

_It's always someone else who sings_

_While I'm left waiting in the wings_

Cassandra thought back to her teenage years, first in the group in the obstacle course, winner of all the sparring contests, shrugging off the laughter and derision and murmurs of “captain's daughter” from the other recruits, knowing that she would be head of her class... but then, being told she hadn't made the cut, that she'd have to try again next year. The first time, she believed her father when he said she wasn't good enough, and threw herself into training harder than ever, pushing herself past her limits, injuring herself repeatedly but pushing through all the pain, knowing that it was her destiny to join the guard and be a hero. She leaped into a tree, jumping onto a branch and swinging her sword, seeing her father's stern look in the clouds and reliving her own failure.

_And so I keep on keepin' on_

_My chances come and then I blink and they're gone_

_Always overlooked unfairly_

_While pretending that it barely stings_

_But it stings, yes it stings, and.._

_I'll shed no tears, I'll only keep on waiting!_

Cassandra jumped down from the tree and hit the ground, swinging her sword furiously forward, remembering another year of rejection.

_If no one cheers, well I can keep on waiting_

Cassandra remembered her father telling her that the lost princess would never be found, and remembered believing him... and in that moment, thinking that she could never find adventure beyond Corona... that she had to protect the people she could, join the royal guard and stay home. She collapsed to one knee, looking up at the sky once more and remembering how much it had hurt to finally believe that... believe that her destiny was to stay in her place, wherever she found herself to be.

_Who cares how loud the silence rings..._

Cassandra bowed her head, looking back toward the campsite, where Rapunzel was waiting. She'd take Rapunzel to see the lanterns, then return her home to her tower... she had no illusions that she'd find Flynn Rider along the way.

_You'll find me waiting in the wings..._

And as Cassandra knelt there amidst the trees, as darkness fell around her, someone was watching her from behind one of those trees, a look of absolute horror on her face.

_No... no, not her... why did it have to be her?!_

Gothel pulled down her cloak so that she could get a better look at the young woman kneeling in the darkness. She had grown older, but her hair and eyes were unmistakable, even the song she sang was unmistakable... that girl was Cassandra.

That girl was Gothel's daughter.

_Has she come back for revenge?_ thought Gothel, trembling with fright.  _Is that why she took Rapunzel from me? No... she can't know who Rapunzel really is. She can't have told her the truth, she doesn't even remember me!_

Feeling her pulse quicken, Gothel turned her attention back to the campsite, to Rapunzel... and then back to Cassandra, still kneeling in the clearing. It would be so easy to sneak up on Cassandra and end this... but at the same time, Gothel knew how strong her daughter had grown. She could see the sheathed sword and dagger her daughter wielded, and there was no guarantee a sneak attack would be successful... and as cowardly as Gothel was, she wouldn't dare risk it.

_No... I need to try a different approach. One will catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, after all..._

Gothel made her way back to the campsite, where Rapunzel was still sitting, talking to Pascal. She knew she didn't have much time before her daughter's escort returned. She needed to be quick... she wouldn't have to take long. All she needed to do was to sow the seeds of discord between her biological daughter and her stolen one... and from the conversation she'd overheard before, Cassandra had already provided plenty of fuel for that fire.

She stood behind Rapunzel for several seconds before making her play.

“Well!” Gothel exclaimed, causing Rapunzel to gasp as she pulled her cloak back down and walked over. “I thought she'd never leave!”

Gothel wrapped Rapunzel up in a tight hug, as the stunned blonde fidgeted in her mother's arms and wondered what she could possibly say.

“Mother? But I... I don't... how did you find me?”

“Oh, it was easy, really,” she replied, her voice still light and airy as she continued to embrace Rapunzel. “I just listened for the sound of complete and utter betrayal and followed that.”

“Mother,” said Rapunzel with a sigh, as she started to work up the courage to say what she needed to say... as much as she cared for Gothel, and as much as she didn't want to hurt her, she couldn't go back to the tower. Not yet, at least.

“We're going home, Rapunzel,” said Gothel sternly, hoping that she wouldn't even need to try to turn Rapunzel against Cassandra to get her to come back... and hoping that she'd never have to see her other daughter again. “Now.”

“You don't understand! I've been on this incredible journey, and I've seen and learned so much... I even met someone.”

“Yes, the daughter of the captain of the royal guard... do you have any idea the danger you're putting yourself in?”

As Gothel started to tug Rapunzel along, Rapunzel began to pull away, and finally jerked her hand free.

“Mother, wait... danger, what are you talking about? Cassandra's not dangerous at all, she's protected me, she understands me... I.... I...”

More thoughts of Cassandra began to flood into Rapunzel's mind, and as memories of the day played back, she could see something else in the fierce young woman's determined brown eyes. Sure, Cassandra could be a bit rough at times, but she was also passionate, fierce, resourceful... and would never, ever hurt Rapunzel. She'd promised... and in that promise, and in every other conversation the two of them had had, Rapunzel sensed a kindred spirit... a close friend... and maybe... just maybe...

“I... think she likes me,” said Rapunzel, smiling and looking up at her mother.

“Likes you? Please, Rapunzel, that's demented,” said Gothel, before starting into a song. “This is why you never should have left. Dear, this whole romance that you've invented just proves you're too naïve to be here...”

Gothel began to dance around Rapunzel, lifting up her hair and pointing out every single flaw that she'd pointed out to Rapunzel for the past eighteen years of her life, ever since bringing her into her tower... gaslighting her, making her feel as if she was inferior, both to Cassandra and to herself.

_Why would she like you, really?  
Look at you, you think that she's impressed?_

_Don't be a dummy_

_Come with mummy_

_Mother...._

“No!” Rapunzel shouted, feeling not just Cassandra's courage welling within her, but her own as well.

“No?” said Gothel, surprised but ready for her daughter's defiance, and realizing that she'd have to tell her daughter the 'truth' about the dangers that going with Cassandra would bring. “Oh... I see how it is.”

_Rapunzel knows best_

_Rapunzel's so mature now_

_Such a clever grown up miss_

_Rapunzel knows best_

_Fine, then go back with her_

_Show the royal army this!_

Gothel took Rapunzel's hair again, extending it to all corners of the clearing, and tugging it hard when she tried to pull away, not hard enough to hurt her, but hard enough to keep her in place and give her an idea of how her hair would become her prison in due time.

“But she'd never-” Rapunzel gasped, looking on as Gothel continued to sing.

_This is what she wants, don't let her deceive you!_

_Go with her and then you'll see!_

“I trust her!” Rapunzel protested.

_They'll lock you up in chains_

_Then they'll use your power_

_Every drop until you're dust!_

_No, Rapunzel knows best!_

_So if this girl's so noble_

_Go and put her to the test!_

_If she's lying, don't come crying..._

_Mother knows best!_

With a flourish of her cloak, Gothel disappeared into the night, leaving Rapunzel alone with her thoughts... and with her worries. For the briefest of moments, she looked down at her hair and imagined Cassandra, in lieu of Flynn Rider, presenting her to the captain instead... after all, it had been Cassandra's idea that an army could use her to heal their troops and conquer the world.

But just as that dark thought crept into her mind, Rapunzel shook it off, angry at herself for even thinking it.

“No,” said Rapunzel to herself. “Cassandra said that no one had the right to use me like that... not even my own mother. And besides... she promised she'd never hurt me, didn't she, Pascal?”

Pascal squeaked and nodded, but he looked more unsure than Rapunzel. As Rapunzel tried to calm him down, she could hear Cassandra walking into the clearing, carrying a bundle of firewood into her arms with a slightly sad look on her face.

“Is everything okay, Rapunzel?” asked Cassandra, dropping the firewood on the ground. “I thought I heard some shouting, but it might've just been the wind...”

“It... it was,” said Rapunzel. “Were you talking to yourself back there?”

Cassandra blushed, thinking for a moment that Rapunzel might've heard her song and flight of fancy... then she too shook her head, too embarrassed to say what she was really thinking.

The two looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, then sat down to build the fire together... Cassandra thinking about how tomorrow might be her last chance to catch Flynn Rider and prove to her father that she didn't belong in a convent, and Rapunzel trying to forget her meeting with her mother... and trying to push back the thought, however faint it may be, that Cassandra might betray her. They spent the night by the fire, mostly making small talk, getting to know each other without the threat of imminent death looming over their heads, and thinking about the excitement the next day would bring... it would be Cassandra's first time seeing the floating lanterns up close since she was a little girl, and Rapunzel's first time seeing them... well, ever.

And as they lay down in the grass on opposite sides of the extinguished campfire, they gave each other one last look in the moonlight. For Rapunzel, it had truly been the best day of her life. For Cassandra... it had been a day unlike any other, meeting a girl unlike any she'd ever met.

“Good night, Raps,” said Cassandra, smiling warmly at her most unexpected friend.

“Good night, Cass,” Rapunzel replied. “And thank you... for everything.”

O-O-O

Across the forest, camped out in a clearing closer to the royal capitol, the two Stabbington Brothers were trying their best to make the most of what had been a disappointing day. They'd failed to capture the crown, Flynn Rider had betrayed them, and they'd been captured by the royal guards... though mercifully, they'd been able to escape quickly, and had avoided that whole mess in the dam, which they hoped had taken out the royal guards who'd gone to pursue someone who they hoped was Rider.

“If Rider's still alive, he'll probably try to make another go at the crown,” said the taller of the two, a man with long red sideburns. His younger brother, who wore an eyepatch, nodded in agreement. “We'll need to be there to meet him... after we let him steal the crown for us.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” came a female voice from just outside the clearing.

“The hell was that?” said the sideburned Stabbington, looking over with his brother to see the cloaked Gothel. “Who are you?”

“Just an interested observer,” said Gothel, sauntering over to the Stabbingtons.

“Why are you so interested in us?”

“I need some... muscle,” she continued.

“We don't work on commission,” said the eldest Stabbington, rising to his feet and towering over Gothel. “Unless you've got something worth more than a crown.”

“I know you want that crown, and I know you hate Flynn Rider... but I bet I know someone you hate even more.”

“Who's that? Because it's about to be you if you don't start making sense.”

The eyepatched Stabbington nodded in agreement, and advanced toward Gothel, pounding his fist into his hand. Gothel just laughed.

“The Captain of the Corona Royal Guard... the one who's always foiling your schemes? Rider might've betrayed you once, but I know that Captain has been a festering sore on your neck for years...”

“Yeah, he's a real pain in the ass. What's your point?”

“What if I told you you could get your ultimate revenge on the captain... and make a hefty ransom at the same time?”

“...we're listening.”

“Then listen good... and be where I tell you to be tomorrow night. If you're lucky, you might be able to get your hands on the crown too.”

The Stabbingtons listened as Gothel laid out her plan... if it worked, she would have Rapunzel back and safe in her arms, and would never have to worry about her leaving again... and as for her other daughter, who had come back to destroy everything she had spent the last eighteen years trying to protect?

_I gave you up once... I have absolutely no problem doing it again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Waiting In The Wings” and “Mother Knows Best” aren't mine! They were both written by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater!


	4. Best Day Ever

Cassandra, tired from her day of adventuring, running, and nearly drowning, slept quite soundly even with her head resting in the wet grass. She slept a dreamless sleep, and was still a bit drowsy when the morning sun finally stirred her from her slumber. She awoke to the sound of soft breathing, though she wasn't quite sure about the source of that sound until she opened her eyes to see a familiar face staring down at her. The face wasn't human, but Cassandra recognized it immediately.

“...Fidella?”

Cassandra's horse, still dripping wet from its watery ordeal, had made its way back to her after slipping away from the captain and his guards, and it didn't take long for the horse to find its friend, having tracked Cassandra by her familiar scent. Fidella let out a joyful whinny, and Cassandra climbed to her feet and gave her horse's mane a tender stroke before rubbing their faces together.

“It's so good to see you again... thanks for helping my dad out of the water... is he still upset with me?” asked Cassandra. Fidella gave an unsure look, not necessarily a 'yes', but also not a 'no, and Cassandra sighed at the thought that her dad might still be upset. She then heard a gentle yawn nearby, and looked to see Rapunzel waking from her slumber as well. “Raps, there's someone I'd like you to meet...”

As Rapunzel got to her feet, stretching her arms above her head and yawning again, she saw Fidella and Cassandra standing together, and let out a delighted gasp. Fidella whinnied, and Rapunzel squealed with joy.

“Cassandra, is that your horse? How did she get here?”

“She's a great tracker,” said Cassandra, patting Fidella proudly. “I don't think she led the guards back here either, so we're still good. How are you feeling?”

Rapunzel's eyes and smile reflected her excitement. It was her birthday, and today was the day she'd be able to finally see the floating lanterns up close. Her dream was about to come true, and to make things even better, there was now a beautiful horse for her to admire! She had caught a brief glimpse of Fidella during the chase back at the dam, and had cooed with delight at the revelation that the guards' horse Maximus had a crush on her, but now seeing her in person was especially fun. Rapunzel loved animals, even though the only animal she'd ever seen in person before leaving the tower had been Pascal, and she instinctively went over to give Fidella a hug. Fidella backed off just a bit, looking at Rapunzel with some unease, but Cassandra quickly stroked the horse's mane and let her know it would be all right.

“Don't worry, Fidella, she's a friend. Rapunzel, this is Fidella... Fidella, this is Rapunzel...”

Rapunzel squealed again and wrapped her arms tightly around Fidella's neck. Fidella was a bit grouchy at first, but soon warmed to Rapunzel's gentle touch and stroked her head softly against the blonde's long hair. Cassandra was glad to see Fidella and Rapunzel getting along, though she hoped that it wasn't a sign that the guards were close, even if Fidella had been smart enough not to lead them here.

_Just one more day,_ thought Cassandra.  _We'll go see the floating lights, and then we'll be able to catch Flynn Rider. We're close to the city now... in fact, I think it's just right through those trees to the north..._

As Cassandra watched Fidella and Rapunzel continue to bond, she tried to keep her mind focused on her mission, but it was hard when Rapunzel was looking so happy in the morning sunlight. Rapunzel finally stopped hugging Fidella and turned to Cassandra, who tried to wipe the smile from her face but was unable to do so.

“Fidella is beautiful,” said Rapunzel. “You should be really proud to have raised such a sweet horse!”

“Well, I didn't train her by myself, the guard helped out, but... thanks,” said Cassandra. “And... happy birthday, Raps.”

Rapunzel giggled with delight and leaned over to hug Cassandra, who turned away to avoid it. Rapunzel looked a bit disappointed, but placed her hand on Cassandra's shoulder.

“Right, I know, we still have a mission, I didn't forget,” said Rapunzel. “I guess we're going to look for Flynn Rider today before we see the lanterns?”

“We should, yes,” Cassandra replied. “But I guess there might be time for a little bit of fun... just be careful, we've got to avoid the guards, and we need to watch out for pickpockets too... these festivals are prime environments for criminals to work their trade.”

Cassandra took Fidella's reins and began walking toward the city with Rapunzel, who followed alongside them, barely able to contain her excitement. She'd never celebrated her birthday like this before, and as she looked over at Cassandra, she wondered what it was like for her.

“Hey Cass, what do you do for your birthdays?” asked Rapunzel.

“I don't remember my exact birthday, since I don't even remember who my real parents were. Dad always celebrated my birthday on the anniversary of the day he adopted me, but... we stopped when I got to be a teenager. Neither of us ever put much thought into birthdays, I'd always spend mine training.”

“Oh,” said Rapunzel sadly, bowing her head. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be,” Cassandra replied. “I love training, if I wanted to celebrate my birthdays, I would. For me, the perfect day consists of swinging my sword, catching a thief, and doing a good day's work. I get to do plenty of all three, so I'm happy.”

“Are you? Really?” asked Rapunzel. Cassandra raised an eyebrow, wondering what kind of stupid question that was. “I mean, the whole reason you're so worried about catching Flynn Rider is because you're not happy with how your life is going, right? I think you deserve to experience your real dream...”

“I already told you, I'm fine,” said Cassandra, as the two girls and the horse passed through the grove of trees and stepped out into the sun. “Anyway, here we are.”

Rapunzel turned, and her eyes widened with excitement. The morning bells announcing the start of the festival were ringing, and Corona's capital loomed, its palace rising in the background as people milled about the buildings and the square. As Cassandra walked to cross a bridge she'd crossed many times before, Rapunzel was practically jogging, even turning to put her hands up to her face in disbelief. Cassandra sighed before reminding herself that Rapunzel never left her tower and had never seen anything like a village, let alone a city. Cassandra stayed back, walking at a brisk pace as she led Fidella beside her. Her eyes glanced over to a wanted poster of Flynn Rider that had been posted on the side of the bridge, reminding her of the mission at hand.

_Today's the day,_ thought Cassandra, knowing in her gut that the thief would return for the crown he'd failed to steal before.  _Let's make both our dreams come true, Raps._

The main street of Corona bustled with activity, even moreso than usual. Men, women, and children paced the streets, and lively music played, while purple banners decorated with the sun, Corona's royal crest, hung above. Cassandra had never paid much attention to just how busy the festival was... during these things, she always either stayed inside the palace to train, or worked security amongst the crowds, always shadowed by another guard who she had to defer to regardless of how much better a fighter she was. Her memories of these festival days were filled with disappointment, boredom, and frustration, but as she watched Rapunzel slowly walk around, taking in all the sights and sounds, she felt a vicarious flutter in her chest... and felt another smile creep its way to her lips.

_I guess maybe we can have a little fun,_ thought Cassandra.  _It is only her second day outside, after all._

Unfortunately, Cassandra couldn't help but notice something that threatened to derail their fun as soon as it began. Rapunzel kept getting tripped up... by her own hair, which was flowing through the street and being stepped on constantly. Out in the middle of nowhere, it wasn't so much of a problem, but now...

_This isn't going to work,_ Cassandra mused to herself, placing her hand to her forehead. Rapunzel seemed to notice this too, and looked a bit guilty as she watched Cassandra begin to pick up all of that hair and pile it up into a heavy bundle. “Raps, we need to figure this out.”

“Hmm...” Rapunzel started to scan the crowd, and she and Cassandra noticed a group of girls sitting near the fountain, braiding each other's hair. She was a bit nervous, and Cassandra wasn't sure if they were up to the task. As the two walked over, the girls looked at Cassandra and gasped... then one of them stood up and pointed.

“It's the mean lady!” shouted the girl, remembering a past incident in which Cassandra had snapped at them for playing jump rope too close to a merchant's stall.

“Booo!” shouted another of the girls, prompting Cassandra to sigh.

“Cassandra, why are they calling you the mean lady?” asked Rapunzel.

“You figure it out,” replied Cassandra with a groan. Rapunzel smiled and shook her head before kneeling down beside the girls.

“Cassandra's not mean, she's just a little bit... grumpy,” said Rapunzel, “and I'm sure she'll apologize for whatever she did to you before.”

As Rapunzel began sweet-talking the girls, however, they finally noticed the large clump of hair she and Cassandra were holding between them. They took one look at it and gasped again, and soon forgot all about their past with the 'mean lady', as all of them marveled at Rapunzel and her amazing seventy feet of hair. Soon, Rapunzel was kneeling down to allow the girls to braid it, while Cassandra sat nearby. Though the girls were all laughing and having fun, Rapunzel hadn't forgotten what they'd said about Cassandra before.

“Cass, you still need to apologize to these girls for yelling at them,” said Rapunzel with an encouraging smile. Cassandra looked up and watched the girls for a few seconds, and saw in them the happy, fun-loving girl she used to be, before she started training with her father and when she still dreamed of rescuing the lost princess. She stood up and walked over, and tried her best to be as gracious as she could.

“Uh, um... girls, I... I just want to say... I'm sorry about yelling at you before,” said Cassandra. “I was... out of line, and... and...”

“And you were mean!” said the tallest of the girls, pointing at Cassandra.

“And... I... was mean,” Cassandra replied, forcing a smile.

“You should let us braid your hair next!” said another of the girls, whose four long pigtails swung freely behind her head whenever she ran.

“Well, I would, but I don't have much hair to braid,” said Cassandra with a smirk, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

A short while later, Cassandra stood next to Rapunzel, four small braids dangling in her hair, each braid secured with a different colored bow. Rapunzel was giggling.

“I'm not wearing these all day,” said Cassandra. She then turned to Rapunzel, who looked absolutely gorgeous... her seventy feet of hair had been secured into a much more manageable five foot long braided ponytail, decorated with pretty flowers and white beads. Rapunzel twirled happily, admiring her newly braided hair.

“Thank you!” exclaimed Rapunzel, as the girls happily looked on. Cassandra looked at her as well, and couldn't help but admire the way the flowers brought out Rapunzel's beaming smile.

_She's so... happy..._ thought Cassandra, a slight red blush making its way to her face. Fidella gave her a smirking glance, and Cassandra blushed even harder, looking away. “Mind your own business!”

With Rapunzel's hair securely braided up, she was much more free to enjoy the festival, and almost immediately, she dashed off and began visiting the various stalls and displays lining the main thoroughfare. Cassandra and Fidella followed along, watching to make sure she didn't get into any trouble as she excitedly took in everything she could. Cassandra also made sure to keep an eye out for the guards, particularly her father... she didn't want anyone spoiling their fun.

Soon, the two had made their way to the main square, and Rapunzel caught a glimpse of a large painting decorating one of the walls nearby. Cassandra had seen this painting many times before... it showed the king, the queen, and the baby princess cradled in their arms. Every year, festival goers planted flowers in front of it to pay tribute to the lost princess, and every year it accumulated massive stacks of flowers as the people of Corona remembered the tragedy of the little girl lost almost immediately after she was born. As Rapunzel walked closer to the painting, her eyes squinted, almost in recognition, and Cassandra also took a closer look at the painting than she ever had before. For the briefest of moments, her mind almost made the connection between the lost princess and the mysterious girl she'd been traveling with for the past 24 hours, but all those years of being told that the lost princess would never be found clouded her mind with just enough doubt to blind her. Rapunzel soon turned away from the painting, and the idea that the lost princess might actually be right in front of her slipped away from Cassandra's mind. A traveling band was playing nearby, and Rapunzel found herself swept up into the music... and with Cassandra watching, she began to dance in the middle of the square.

“Raps?” said Cassandra, her voice drowned out by the loud music that got even louder as Rapunzel danced in the square with even more energy. “What are you doing?”

Rapunzel, giggling, pulled a young boy into the square to dance with her, and soon, she'd pulled in several other people as well. Within minutes, the entire square was full of people dancing happily, as Cassandra simply stayed off to the side, watching with admiration but too timid to start dancing herself.

_She really does have a way with so many people..._ thought Cassandra, her heart beating faster the more she watched Rapunzel dance and twirl around. Rapunzel offered a hand to her as well, but she shook her head, and even a side glance from Fidella wasn't enough to get her to join in. “It's okay, I'm not a dancer, but clearly you are...”

Cassandra watched Rapunzel dance the morning away with the other festival goers, continuing to scan the crowd for any sign of guards or potential threats. The more she watched Rapunzel dance, the more she felt her guard lower, and though she tried to keep her wits about her, she felt an increasingly unfamiliar feeling stirring inside her. She herself had learned to dance as part of her soldier training... it was said to help with agility and footwork, and though she thought it embarrassing to do the dances that the instructor asked of her, she had found that she was somewhat of a natural... though she'd never actually danced for fun before.

And she wasn't about to start now. As much as she found herself enjoying watching Rapunzel, she breathed a sigh of relief as the dancing stopped and as the townspeople moved onto another activity... decorating the town square with colorful painted designs, something Rapunzel took to quite naturally as well. As good of a dancer as Rapunzel was, she was also an excellent artist, and her decoration was an elaborate purple shape with Corona's golden sun symbol in the middle, right in the center of the square. She'd been inspired by a small purple banner that she'd picked up before, and she seemed to be enamored with the sun symbol, as if she remembered it from somewhere in the distant past.

_It's not surprising she's so fascinated by that symbol..._ thought Cassandra, as she looked down to admire Rapunzel's painting.  _She's like a ray of sunshine in human form... and ugh, I can't believe I just had that thought._

“Cass, look!” shouted Rapunzel excitedly, pointing to a library nearby, with books stacked in the windows. “I've never seen so many books before, can we go inside?”

_Well, I doubt there'd be any guards in the library,_ thought Cassandra with a smirk. “Sure, Raps, we can spend some time in there.”

“Are you sure? I know you probably want to look for Flynn Rider...”

“I haven't seen him yet, and while I doubt he's much of a reader, maybe there's a rare book or two in there that he might be trying to swipe. Let's go.”

“Yay!” cheered Rapunzel, walking into the library with Cassandra. Cassandra hitched Fidella outside and went in, looking all around at the books lining the shelves. Cassandra herself was never much of a reader, though she used to be when she was little, spending her time reading adventure stories about brave heroes rescuing beautiful damsels. She'd tried to find books where those heroes were women, and though such books were few and far between, the ones that did exist were some of her favorites.

_I wonder if they have the story of Excella The Brave?_ thought Cassandra, scanning the spines of the books as Rapunzel picked out a book about astronomy. “So, Raps, did you read very much back in the tower?”

“I did, but Mother only had three books for me to read, so I just re-read those from cover to cover,” said Rapunzel. She began to read the astronomy book, and Cassandra couldn't help but notice how quickly she flipped through the pages.

“See anything you like?”

“This book is fascinating! I already knew about charting stars, but this has all the new stars they've discovered! I never knew there were so many... I never had a telescope in the tower, I'd love to get a chance to use one...”

“There are only two big telescopes in Corona,” said Cassandra. “One's in the palace, the other is owned by this weird kid I know, goes by the name of Varian... I'd introduce you, but we've still got a long day ahead of-”

“Done!” said Rapunzel, putting the astronomy book down.

“You read that whole thing in two minutes?” asked Cassandra.

“Oh yes, it was wonderful!”

Rapunzel soon moved on to another book, and Cassandra marveled at her companion's ability to comprehend the contents so fast.

_She's... the smartest person I've ever seen,_ thought Cassandra.  _Even cooped up in that tower, she was able to learn so much..._

The more Cassandra learned about Rapunzel, the more furious she got that she'd been trapped in that tower for so long. So much potential, squandered by an overprotective mother... and she remembered her own potential and her struggles to get out from her father's thumb.

_They don't understand how capable we are. He doesn't understand how capable I am..._

The minutes turned to hours as Rapunzel read every book she could... less read and more devoured, as Cassandra watched in fascination and admiration. The blonde read books on poetry, mathematics, history, science, geography, learning even more about the world around her, the world she'd never seen. Finally, she picked up a big atlas and set it down on the floor, and as she flipped through it, Cassandra joined her, kneeling down beside Rapunzel as the two studied the maps and entries together.

“So this is the world... the whole world, beyond the tower, beyond Corona,” said Rapunzel, her finger tracing a large map of the world.

“This is Corona, right here,” said Cassandra, pointing their location out on the map. “We're part of a larger region known as the Seven Kingdoms, a group of kingdoms bound by various treaties and agreements... mostly, we agree not to go to war with each other, and we do most of our trading with each other as well. Then you have the lands outside the Seven Kingdoms... up here is Arendelle... and down here is Maldonia.”

Rapunzel flipped the page and saw another map, showing off the other side of the world.

“What about all this?” asked Rapunzel, pointing to a huge ocean and the many different islands dotted inside it.

“This is Pacifica,” replied Cassandra. “Most of it is controlled by a single empire, descended from a group of explorers known as the Wayfarers. They set out across the ocean many years ago on wooden ships, and led by a great chief whose name is lost to history. They discovered nearly every land surrounding this ocean. Their chief was probably the best explorer in the history of the world, she even reached all the way here on the other side of the ocean, the western coast of a vast land called Novamundi.”

“Have you ever been to any of these places?” asked Rapunzel.

“No,” replied Cassandra. “But... I used to dream about visiting them.”

_Maybe we could see them together,_ thought Rapunzel for a brief moment, as she reached out and placed her hand on Cassandra's. She didn't vocalize this thought, but as their eyes met, Cassandra looked away again, and Rapunzel's smile softened. “You know, all this reading is making me hungry... and we really haven't eaten much of anything since yesterday.”

“Yeah,” said Cassandra, reaching to hold her grumbling stomach. “Guess in all that excitement, we forgot...”

She reached into her pocket, and thankfully, she had a few gold coins that hadn't been washed away in the dam collapse. That would be more than enough for a filling meal, or at least a heavy snack.

“Here,” said Cassandra, reaching into her pocket and grabbing the coins, then handing them to Rapunzel. “I'll let you pick where we eat.”

“Thanks, Cass,” replied Rapunzel, smiling as she and her companion stood up. “And... thanks for spending so much time in here with me. I know you were probably pretty bored just watching me read... you'd probably rather be swordfighting or something, wouldn't you?”

“Well... I swordfight every day, so sometimes that actually gets boring.”

“Really?”

“It does when all the other soldiers aren't in your league,” said Cassandra, standing up and walking with Rapunzel. “No wonder Flynn Rider's evaded the royal guard for so long, they're all a bunch of amateurs.”

Rapunzel giggled.

“What?” Cassandra said, glaring at her.

“Always so critical... you really should try to see the good in people, you know? Just because someone's not a very good swordfighter doesn't mean you should scoff at them.”

  
“It does when they're supposed to be professional soldiers and your dad keeps passing you over for them,” grumbled Cassandra. “I can't help it, Raps... I know I can be too critical sometimes, but when there's nothing else to do but be critical, it becomes a habit that's hard to break. I have trouble understanding how you always see the good in people.”

“Including you,” said Rapunzel, unhitching Fidella from her post. “And I hope you weren't too bored out here either... did you see any guards walking around?”

Fidella nodded, indicating some guards had recently passed by. Cassandra took Fidella's reins and looked at Rapunzel.

“We'd better be careful,” she warned her companion, as the two walked back toward the town square to pick out some food.

Rapunzel soon found the festival's sweet shop, and though Cassandra complained that cupcakes weren't a very healthy lunch, she had agreed to let Rapunzel pick their meal, and had to admit that the sweet taste of the cupcake was quite pleasant as she and Rapunzel ate their fill.

“This is so good,” said Rapunzel through a mouthful of pastry. “Mother never let me have sweets back home, she said that I needed to stay nice and healthy so I could live a very long time.”

_Starting to wonder if 'mother' wasn't saying that so she could extend her own lifespan..._ thought Cassandra.  _Of course, dad always frowned at me eating sweets, said I needed to eat healthy food to stay fit for training... didn't stop him from giving me lots of treats when I was little, but the older I got, the less I was able to sway him... I haven't had a cupcake in a long time... feels wrong enjoying one so much... but it's so good..._

Cassandra and Rapunzel continued enjoying their treats and walking the main thoroughfare of the festival, as more sights and sounds surrounded them. Rapunzel's eyes glanced over to a game of chance requiring a single gold coin for entry... and she happened to have one gold coin left over from buying her treats before. But as she walked over to play, she could see Cassandra's gaze focused on something else.. a small commotion in a nearby crowd. She pocketed the coin and walked over to Cassandra, who seemed slightly worried but also slightly curious.

“Cass?” asked Rapunzel, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Did you see something?”

“There's some guards over there,” replied Cassandra, “but I don't think they're looking for us.”

“Could they be looking for Flynn Rider?”

“Can't tell. They're coming this way, let's listen.”

Cassandra and Rapunzel crouched behind an empty stall nearby and listened to the guards talk as they went past. They sounded quite surprised and worked up about something, and Flynn Rider's name _did_ come up... but not in the context Cassandra expected it to.

“Was it a violent prison break?”

“Nah. Sounds like Rider snuck in, and snuck back out with one other person. We haven't caught Rider, but we tracked the other guy back here.”

“Who's the guy?”

“Goes by the name of Lance Strongbow. Doesn't have a violent record, but they did catch him robbing the queen a few years back.”

“Lance Strongbow,” whispered Cassandra.

“Isn't that the guy they mentioned back at the pub?” asked Rapunzel. “The one who's friends with Flynn Rider?”

“Yeah,” said Cassandra. “If he's here, he's probably working with Rider... and he might be able to lead us right to him!”

The two waited for the guards to walk past before emerging from their hiding place. They began to walk in the opposite direction, and Cassandra was quick to formulate a plan.

“If Strongbow's here in the capital, he's got to be laying low,” said Cassandra. “He wouldn't be out and about during the festival, so he's probably staying in an inn somewhere and waiting for Rider to come get him after everyone's distracted by the lantern ceremony. Which means we'll need to track him down.”

“So he's inside, then?” asked Rapunzel.

“Exactly. Problem is, there are lots of inns in the capital...”

“We'll have to scour them all until we find Strongbow,” said Rapunzel, sighing. “That could take hours!”

“And we really don't have that kind of time. Fortunately, thieves are predictable, and there's one inn here in the city that thieves almost always go to lay low. They don't think the guards know about it, and most of them don't, because most of the guards are stupid-”

“Hey!” said Rapunzel, her glare reminding Cassandra that she needed to be nicer. Cassandra sighed, taking Rapunzel's hand and pulling her along.

“Anyway, the inn we'll probably find Strongbow in is just down this side street... let's hurry.”

While all of Corona's capital was caught up in the festivities surrounding the lost princess' birthday, many of the side streets were quiet, especially the ones known to be frequented by thieves. Cassandra cautiously guided Rapunzel and Fidella into one of these streets, using her arm to shield Rapunzel as the two slowly walked toward the inn Cassandra had mentioned, a two-story establishment called _The Amber Flame_.

“Fidella, you stay here and keep lookout,” said Cassandra, asking her horse to stay near the entrance to the alleyway, lest Lance attempt to slip away from the building. Fidella nodded and neighed, staying behind as Cassandra and Rapunzel approached the entrance to the inn. “Raps, be on your guard... this place isn't as rough and tumble as the _Snuggly Duckling_ , but there might be a few criminals about, and I'm not sure how dangerous this Lance Strongbow character is.

Rapunzel nodded, brandishing her frying pan as she and Cassandra went inside. The lobby of the inn was more like a small tavern, and there were several patrons seated at tables nearby, while the soft din of conversation echoed through the small building.

“I just remembered something,” said Cassandra, looking around at the bar area. “I don't have any idea what Lance Strongbow looks like.”

Fortunately, Cassandra didn't have to wait to find out... seated at one of the tables, wooing a waitress with tales of his exploits, was a tall, bald, dark-skinned, bearded man, talking louder than anyone else in the room. His attention was focused far too much on the waitress to notice the two ladies who'd just walked in.

“And then I shouted, 'you'll never take Lance Strongbow alive!'” said the man, laughing and slapping his hand on the table. “The guards ran, and Flynn Rider and I rode off into the sunset with our treasure!”

“Yep... that's him,” said Cassandra. Despite her luck, she was groaning at Strongbow's boast, marveling at how anyone could be such a fool.

  
“So what's the plan?” asked Rapunzel. “Do we just sit down at the table and ask him nicely where Flynn Rider is?”

“No,” replied Cassandra.

“But he seems to enjoy talking,” said Rapunzel.

“True, but we can't be sure that he won't clam up once he realizes what we're after,” replied Cassandra. “As much as I hate to admit it, thieves as notorious as Flynn Rider and Lance Strongbow don't build up a reputation like theirs by being stupid... most of the time. Besides, my plan's a lot more fun.”

Cassandra turned to Rapunzel and began whispering to her, and though Rapunzel was unsure at first, her eyes soon lit up as she realized what Cassandra's plan entailed. She nodded, and a few minutes later, after Lance had finished his conversation with the waitress, he heard a voice beckoning from the upstairs balcony.

“Hey,” Cassandra called out, leaning on the railing and playfully twirling one of her braids. “Mind coming up here and telling me that story about how you and Flynn Rider stole the silver spoons from the Marigold Mansion? I've always had a thing for rogues...”

Lance looked up and saw Cassandra, and though she cut an intimidating figure, he couldn't help but find her enthusiasm appealing.

“Ahhh, I don't get a lot of admirers around these parts! Sure... I'll tell you the story. What's a handsome lady like you doing in a place like this?”

“Came to see the festival,” said Cassandra, as Lance slowly walked up the stairs. “Stayed for the sights... and I like what I see.”

“And just who do I owe the pleasure?” asked Lance, trying his best to be suave.

“Call me Cassie,” Cassandra replied, having to resist the urge to throw up in her mouth as she gave Lance the diminutive version of her name.

“Well, Cassie, lead the way,” replied Lance, following Cassandra into one of the upstairs rooms. “Though I must warn you, my stories get a little long-winded.”

“It's okay, I've got plenty of time.”

Cassandra opened the door, and Lance stepped into the room... where he immediately came face-to-face with Rapunzel's frying pan. Cassandra removed the braids from her hair and let out a sigh.

“I'm never doing _that_ again,” groaned Cassandra.

When Lance woke up, he found himself in a chair in the center of the room. In lieu of hair, as Rapunzel didn't want to have to ask those little girls to braid all her hair back up a second time, Cassandra had used torn bedsheets to bind Lance's arms and legs tightly to the chair, and he woke up to see both women glaring at him, Rapunzel with a smirk and Cassandra with a frown.

“Uh... what's going on here?” said Lance, squirming in his bindings.

“Struggling is pointless!” said Rapunzel, twirling her frying pan.

“Oh...” said Lance, who stopped struggling as his lips curved into a smile. “I see what this is... and hey, I'm totally down! Uh, before we get started though, what's the safeword?”

Rapunzel raised an eyebrow, while Cassandra walked over to Lance and took out her dagger.

“The safeword is you tell me everything you know about Flynn Rider,” said Cassandra.

“That's a pretty long safeword, isn't it, Cassie?” asked Lance, leaning in and smirking, only to immediately frown after he found Cassandra's dagger pointed at him.

“It's _Cassandra_ ,” she said fiercely. “Call me Cassie again and I'll cut you.”

Rapunzel gently placed her hand on Cassandra's, lowering the knife. She turned Cassandra to face her, a concerned look on her face.

“Cass, you said we weren't going to hurt him, remember?” said Rapunzel, taking the dagger from Cassandra's hand and putting it back in its sheathe. “You said-”

“Shh!” Cassandra sharply shushed Rapunzel and placed a hand over her mouth before guiding her to the corner of the room and lowering her hand, then whispering. “I know I said that, and I meant it, but I said we had to make it _look_ like we were going to hurt him if we wanted to get any information from him, remember?”

“I know, but I don't want to scare him... he's probably already scared, being tied to a chair...”

“That's the point of the whole 'good guard, bad guard' routine,” said Cassandra. “I'll be the good guard, being all tough and threatening to hurt him, and you'll be the bad guard, being nice and friendly and softening him up.”

“Wait a second, Cass... wouldn't the 'good guard' be the nice one?”

“No, because a guard who's good at their job wouldn't be nice!”

“Uhmm... I dunno,” said Rapunzel, turning back toward Lance. Lance had been squirming and struggling in his chair, but when Rapunzel looked over, he stopped and gave her a wave. “Hello!”

“Hi,” replied Lance, putting on his best smooth talk for Rapunzel. “I just noticed that you two seemed to be in a bit of a disagreement about something, and I was wondering if you were talking about letting me go, because if you do, I know where you can find some really nice treasure!”

“No, we weren't talking about letting you go,” said Rapunzel sternly as she walked over to Lance. “You are a thief, and a criminal, and you know where Flynn Rider is hiding!”

“Flynn Rider? Who's Flynn Rider?” said Lance, looking around and pretending to have lost his memory.

“You were just talking about him,” said Rapunzel.

“Yeah, that innocent act won't work with us,” replied Cassandra. “Listen, we know Flynn Rider just broke you out of prison yesterday, and he's brought you to Corona to help him steal the crown from the palace tonight.”

“Broke out of prison?” said Lance, starting to laugh. “No, no... I might have done some time, but I didn't break out, I was paroled for good behavior!”

“The king hasn't paroled anyone since the princess was taken,” said Cassandra, putting her hand on her hip. “You had six months left of your sentence, and yet you're here, walking around free. We could turn you in right now, _or_ you could tell us where Flynn Rider is and after we catch him, I'll request that your sentence is reduced.”

“Yeah,” said Rapunzel, nodding in agreement before smiling warmly. “And let me just say, you are very handsome, and sweet, and you smell very nice!”

“Why thank you,” Lance replied, smiling back at Rapunzel. “It's the finest cologne in Corona.”

“And it's stolen,” said Cassandra, holding up a bottle that fell out of Lance's pocket after he was knocked out. “Give us Flynn Rider and we might be able to ignore adding this to your sentence.”

“I told you, I haven't seen Flynn Rider... in a while,” said Lance, conceding that his two captors had already heard him talking about Rider before. “We used to run together, sure, but I haven't seen him in years, and you think he'd just go and break me out of prison? Which, by the way, I was paroled from.”

“This isn't working,” said Cassandra.

“I think we need to be nicer,” Rapunzel replied, walking around Lance's chair and leaning in. “We need to tell Lance how much we would appreciate his help, and how much it would mean to both of us if he'd just let us know where his friend is hiding...”

“I already told you, I don't know! But thanks for being so nice, unlike a certain someone over there...” Lance gestured toward Cassandra, whose hand was resting on the hilt of her dagger, just waiting to pull it from its sheath. “I'm just here to enjoy the festival... eat some nice food, meet some nice people, see the floating lanterns...”

“Oooh!” Rapunzel squealed, clapping excitedly. “I'm here to see the floating lanterns too! Have you ever seen them before?”

“Not since I was a little kid, nope! It's really cool, everyone gets their own lantern, and they all release them at once, and it makes a really pretty light show in the air, it's pretty much the most awesome thing ever.”

“Oh my gosh, I can't wait to see it tonight!” said Rapunzel, pointing at Cassandra. “She agreed to take me.”

“And you agreed to help me catch Flynn Rider, and right now, you're not helping.”

Cassandra walked over to Lance's chair, looking down into his eyes the whole time. She stopped in front of the chair and glared down, and when he gave her a smile, she slammed one of her feet down onto the chair between his spread legs, the tip of her boot stopping inches from his groin.

“Whoa!” shouted Lance, leaning back in the chair hard enough to nearly tip it. “Watch the family jewels!”

“Listen,” said Cassandra, leaning in and grabbing Lance by his collar. “I'm getting real upset with you, and do you know what happened the last time someone upset me?”

“Uh... you got that twitchy vein thing right above one of your eyes?” asked Lance, who would've pointed it out if his arms weren't tied down to the chair.

“Someone got hurt,” said Cassandra, “and that someone's about to be you if you don't cough up where Flynn Rider is right now!”

“Easy, Cass, Lance was just about to tell us where his friend was...” said Rapunzel, holding out her hands.

“No I wasn't,” said Lance, prompting Cassandra to pull him in even closer. “I swear, even if he did break me out of prison, do you think he'd tell me where he is? I mean, what if one of us got grabbed by the guards, if we told each other where we'd be hiding, the guards would be able to sweat it out of one of us, and then we'd both get caught!”

“He's got a point,” said Rapunzel, and Cassandra relented and released her grip on Lance's collar, though she continued to keep her foot on the chair.

“Okay,” said Cassandra with a sigh. “In that case, where'd you see Flynn Rider last?”

“I dunno, I haven't seen him since before I landed in prison,” Lance replied, relaxing in the chair and even smiling up at Cassandra. Cassandra groaned loudly and lowered her foot, turning around and walking away from Lance so she wasn't tempted to punch him.

“This is getting us nowhere,” said Cassandra. “You're too nice to properly sweat him, and you won't let me get tough and he knows it, so he has no incentive to tell us anything!”

Rapunzel sighed and walked over to Cassandra, trying to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, only for Cassandra to turn away. Cassandra was clearly upset, and beginning to sulk, and Rapunzel could tell that she was the reason... but at the same time, she couldn't let Cassandra hurt Lance, even if he was a thief who was working with Flynn Rider, and even if she had promised to help Cassandra catch him.

“I'm sorry, Cass, but it's not right to threaten someone like this,” said Rapunzel. “Even if he's a thief, he's helpless, and hurting a helpless person is wrong. Scaring a helpless person into helping you is also wrong. I want to help you find Flynn Rider, but not like this... and I won't let you threaten him anymore. The only way you're getting to him is through me, and you promised not to hurt me, so...”

Rapunzel's voice was firm, but there was also a bit of fear... not that Cassandra would hurt her, as she was ready to fight to protect Lance, but that she'd see that side of Cassandra that she didn't like... the side that had started that fight with the pub thugs, the side that those little girls called 'mean', the side that had pointed a knife at this man... Rapunzel cared deeply about Cassandra, but as much as she wanted to help and support her, she could never support someone who'd resort to violence and cruelty to get what she wanted.

And Cassandra, who was still frustrated and angry that Rapunzel wouldn't let her do what she believed needed to be done, let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping in resignation. Part of her relented because she didn't want to hurt Rapunzel, or even argue with her anymore... and part of her relented because it was the part of her that knew Rapunzel was right.

_I want to be a hero, and heroes don't threaten people like this, even thieves,_ thought Cassandra, feeling a familiar sense of shame.  _Rapunzel might be right, but I don't know how we're going to catch Flynn Rider now._

“Fine,” sighed Cassandra, turning back toward Rapunzel and waving her hand dismissively. “I won't threaten him anymore. Might as well just let him go now, since he's not going to tell us what we want.”

“Yeah... might as well just let me go now,” said Lance, wiggling his hands against the armrests of the chair.

“Well... since you're here,” said Rapunzel, turning back toward Lance. “Mind telling me and Cass how you know Flynn Rider in the first place? Are you just thieves, or do you go back even further?”

“Oh, we go way back,” said Lance, smiling in reminiscence. “We were friends as kids, but also thieves... we stole whatever we could get our hands on, ran around on all sorts of crazy adventures, it was great!”

“Awww,” said Rapunzel sweetly. “Sounds like you two are best friends forever, and you'd never betray each other no matter what.”

“Yeah, even though we haven't seen each other in years, I still miss him,” said Lance. “It'd be so much fun to get back together and start pulling jobs again!”

“So you're absolutely sure you haven't seen Flynn Rider at all?” asked Rapunzel, blinking her eyes innocently. Lance shook his head, and Rapunzel sighed sadly. “I think he's telling the truth, Cass... I don't think he's going to tell us what we want to know no matter what!”

“Yeah, I sort of gleaned that from the last twenty minutes of bullshit he's been feeding us,” said Cassandra.

“Language!” scolded Rapunzel, before turning back to Lance. “Well... before I let you go, I want to tell you my story... since you've been so nice to share yours with me.”

“That sounds great, blondie!” said Lance, who began to squirm in his chair again. “But I really have to get out of here, those floating lanterns might be starting up any moment and I'd really love to see them!”

“Me too!” said Rapunzel, who started to fish around in her dress for the purple banner she'd gotten earlier. “I want to tell you why I'd like to see them so much!”

“Well, that's great, but I really have to be getting out of here.”

“Oh, I insist,” said Rapunzel, leaning toward Lance so that their faces were just a few inches apart. “You see, it's my birthday, and-”

“That's great! Happy birthday, but I really have to-”

Lance was suddenly cut off by Rapunzel shoving the banner into his mouth. When he tried to spit it out, she clamped her hand firmly down over it until he stopped, while the sharp glare in her eyes and the frown on her face indicated that Lance had no choice but to listen to her story.

“I _insist_ ,” said Rapunzel, and Lance nodded his head. “Good!”

She lowered her hand, but didn't remove the banner as she started to speak.

“You see, I've been trapped in a tower my whole life _, yearning_ to get out and see the world! Every year on my birthday, I'd see these wonderful floating lights from my window, and I would always wonder what they were... well, just yesterday, I found out from Cassandra that those lights are actually lanterns! Lanterns that only show up every year on my birthday!”

Rapunzel's eyes lit up as she described the lanterns, and she began twirling around the room as Lance watched in silent bewilderment and Cassandra watched in curious fascination. Finally, Rapunzel stopped twirling, and leaned back down to talk to Lance again.

“I wanted to go and see the lanterns up close, but I knew I'd never reach them without a guide... and that's when Cassandra offered to take me, but only if I helped her find Flynn Rider...”

_Actually, the deal was your idea_ , thought Cassandra, though after seeing what happened to Lance, she didn't dare interrupt Rapunzel to correct her.

“So... I _really_ need to help Cassandra catch Flynn, because I made her a promise, and when I make someone a promise, I _never_ break that promise... ever. I know you're best friends with Flynn, and I don't expect you to betray your best friend! I just need a teensy bit of information to help us find him! Just a tiny little bit, so I can at least say that I helped! I didn't promise I'd catch him, only that I'd help, so you wouldn't really be betraying your friend if you helped me... and I know you want to help me, because I know you'd never ever want to deny a girl the chance to see the one thing she's always dreamed about seeing on her birthday, would you?”

Then Rapunzel turned away from Lance, and took a deep breath, closing her eyes and sighing, then turning back to him. She was still smiling, but her tone, while happy, seemed artificially so... and was almost a bit creepy as she spoke.

“And if you don't help me by giving me that teensy bit of information I need, well... I might have to tell the guards where you are... and... you might go back to prison... and that would be terrible, because you want to see the lanterns too, don't you? And I know you'd hate to see them from the inside of a prison cell, right? It would be so sad... just like how sad it would be if I broke my promise to help Cass...”

Rapunzel sounded almost as if she was going to cry, and could feel Cassandra place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“You... wouldn't want to make me cry, would you?” asked Rapunzel, leaning in toward Lance again. Lance shook his head, looking like he was about to cry as well... not because he was scared of Rapunzel's threat to tell the guards on him, but because he was genuinely touched by Rapunzel's story. “So... you'll help me then?”

Lance nodded, and Rapunzel pulled the stuffing out of his mouth.

“It's true... Flynn came yesterday and broke me out of prison! Said he betrayed the Stabbingtons and he needed a new partner! But... I meant it when I said we didn't tell each other where we were gonna be staying! All he told me was where to meet... we're meeting in the sewers near the palace, we're gonna go in from underground and get the crown while everybody's distracted with the lantern thing!”

“Wow,” said Cassandra, genuinely impressed with how forthcoming Lance was. “That... that was a lot of information.”

“I know,” replied Rapunzel, looking quite surprised herself.

“But... you gotta let me go, if I don't meet him, he'll get scared and run off and you'll never catch him!”

“Yeah, I thought as much,” said Cassandra. “We'll let you go... but not right away.”

Cassandra grabbed a small letter opener from a nearby desk and placed it in one of Lance's hands.

“What's this?” asked Lance, watching as Cassandra and Rapunzel started to leave the room.

  
“You should be able to get free with that in... a half hour, maybe? Should give you just enough time to be where you're supposed to be,” said Cassandra. “And won't give you enough time to change your plans.”

“Thanks again for helping us,” said Rapunzel with a giggle, leaning in and kissing Lance on the cheek before she and Cassandra left the room.

The two said nothing as they left the inn together, but as they reached the alleyway, Cassandra let out an excited cheer, then gave Rapunzel a hearty slap on the back to congratulate her.

“That was pretty good thinking,” said Cassandra. “You barely had to threaten him at all to get him to talk, you did both the good guard and bad guard thing at once... I'm really impressed.”

“Thanks,” said Rapunzel with a smile, blushing a bit as she placed her arms behind her head. Then, she shuddered slightly, and bowed her head, starting to look uncomfortable. “I... I still threatened him, though. I mean, we weren't actually going to tell the guards on him, so I didn't _really_ threaten him, but... I still had to threaten him...”

Cassandra could tell that Rapunzel felt guilty, and tried to calm her by taking her hand and holding it tightly.

“It's okay,” said Cassandra. “It was just a bluff, and he wasn't even all that scared. You might've creeped him out a little, but that's okay, it worked and that's what matters.”

“Yeah...” said Rapunzel, the smile returning to her face. “You're right, Cass... it worked and now we can catch Flynn Rider!”

The two emerged from the alleyway, and Cassandra took Fidella's reins again. As they made their way back toward the main square, Rapunzel began to feel guilty... not about threatening Lance, but about the other tactic she used to get him to cough up that information. She'd manipulated him, used her emotions to control his... a tactic not as overtly blunt as Cassandra's heavy-handed approach, but much more subtle, and in some ways, much more cruel.

_I manipulated him like mother manipulates me,_ thought Rapunzel, unable to keep herself from shuddering again. The sound of music coming from the square managed to calm Rapunzel's nerves, and as she and Cassandra could see people once again dancing as the light of the day began to fade, the sun already setting behind the palace. 

“Looks like another dance is starting up,” said Cassandra, rolling her eyes but still smiling, still quite satisfied with the information Rapunzel had managed to extract. “You gonna go for it, or did all that excitement tucker you out?”

As soon as the music picked up, Cassandra had her answer... Rapunzel went right back to dancing with the townspeople, twirling and jumping as energetically as before. She settled in to watch with Fidella, who, along with Pascal, gave her a knowing look, though she again shook her head and dismissed them. Rapunzel laughed and shrieked loudly, almost as if trying to drown something out of her mind... and soon found herself caught up in the music and the excitement, twirling from person to person without a care in the world.

In the light of the setting sun, Cassandra could see Rapunzel's hair almost shimmering, and could hear the sound of her joyous laughter... both of which brought a warming comfort to her chest.

_She's so happy,_ thought Cassandra, unable to take her eyes off Rapunzel in the twilight.  _She's so happy out here, and she's still going back._

Before Cassandra had time to feel sad at the thought of Rapunzel leaving all of this, she saw it... Rapunzel's hand extended toward her once again.

And this time, Cassandra reached for it... only for it to be grabbed by someone else, a tall man who Cassandra recognized from one of the food stalls. She would've shoved him away, but seeing Rapunzel so happy, she didn't want to do anything to dampen the mood... so she accepted this man as her dance partner, at least temporarily, and began twirling around the square with him, waiting for her chance with Rapunzel to come again. Her next dance partner was a young girl, one of the braided girls who'd called her mean before, but as she danced with Cassandra, she couldn't stop laughing, and Cassandra found herself smiling and laughing as well.

They continued to dance until Cassandra was twirled along to a new partner, and Rapunzel as well, and the music picked up, and the dance continued, until finally, Cassandra's hand caught Rapunzel's and the two were twirling together in the middle of the square.

“Cass!” shouted Rapunzel happily, watching her partner's skillful feet move back and forth. “I didn't think you danced like this!”

“It's good for swordfighting!” Cassandra replied.

“Sure it is,” said Rapunzel, as she was suddenly dipped low by her partner. “How is that good for swordfighting?”

“Always good to know when to duck,” Cassandra replied, picking Rapunzel back up and twirling her. Rapunzel happily smiled and rolled her eyes, and the two continued to dance together, lost in the moment and in the music, happily holding hands and locking arms and picking each other up and gazing into each other's eyes. _I'm curious to know where you learned to dance... but I'm starting to think that maybe you just feel like dancing all the time. As for me... this is the first time I've felt like dancing in ten years._

Rapunzel and Cassandra danced together through the rest of the song, neither of them breaking away to take other partners, just continuing to stay together and twirl each other, lifting each other up easily whenever the mood struck them. Finally, as the song came to a conclusion, they twirled apart and then back together, locking hands and looking into each other's eyes, their noses an inch apart as the song ended. They both blushed, breathing heavily with exertion as they stared into each other's eyes for an awkward amount of time.

“To the boats!” shouted a festival goer, signaling that the lantern lighting ceremony was about to begin. The two stayed together, hands locked for several more seconds before finally breaking off and turning away.

“It's starting,” said Rapunzel quietly, her voice trembling with excitement. She turned to Cassandra, who also looked nervous, and remembered what she'd promised to do. “Cass... isn't it time for Flynn Rider to steal the crown?”

“Yeah, but...”

“But what?” asked Rapunzel.

“...the lanterns,” said Cassandra, pointing out toward the lake surrounding the city. “We need to hurry.”

“We need to go cut off Flynn Rider, don't we? Cass... you promised to take me to see the lanterns, and I will get to see them... we're right here... we can watch them while we're catching Flynn! That's all I need, is to see them up close... we don't have to be out on the water in a boat to do that.”

Cassandra knew that Rapunzel was right... this probably was their best chance to stop Flynn Rider. Meet him where Lance said he'd be, or catch him in the sewers, or head to the palace to meet him in the crown room... wherever they needed to be to catch Flynn, that's where they needed to go.

But that's not where Cassandra felt she needed to be. Catching Flynn, her dream, her destiny... she could still do that even if she didn't stop him from stealing the crown. In fact, it might be better to let him... catch him when he thinks he's gotten away with it, when he's so high on his success that he's likely to make a mistake.

That's what Cassandra told herself, anyway... what she told herself so she could help Rapunzel live her dream.

“He's not going anywhere,” said Cassandra. “We know exactly where he's going to be... and as soon as we're done seeing the lanterns, we'll catch him.”

“...are you sure?” asked Rapunzel, looking back toward the palace.

“...I'm sure,” Cassandra replied. “I know all the spots where he's likely to come out, we'll get him then. Now let's go... we've got to make sure we get the best seats, right?”

Cassandra began to lead Rapunzel toward the boats, but she had one more thing to do before they went. She turned to Fidella and stroked her mane, then began writing a note. She scribbled it out quickly, then tucked it inside Fidella's reins.

“Here, take this to dad,” said Cassandra, patting Fidella on her flank. “I want him to know that I'm okay... and that I'll see him again soon.”

Fidella nodded and whinnied, then rode off to deliver Cassandra's note. Cassandra then turned toward Rapunzel, who had Pascal in her hands and was talking to him excitedly.

“And it's going to be as beautiful as we always dreamed it would be,” said Rapunzel, prompting a happy squeak from her friend. “That's right, Pascal...”

“You ready, Raps?” asked Cassandra. Rapunzel nodded, and the two made their way to the dock, as the ceremony got ready to begin. Cassandra still wasn't sure that she was making the right decision to give up one of her best chances to catch Flynn Rider... but as she watched Rapunzel climb into the boat, a bright smile on her face, she couldn't help but smile herself, and any regrets about her choice faded quickly away.

_Destiny can wait... at least a little while longer._


	5. See The Light, Fear The Dark

As night fell, the small boat had left the city of Corona and now sat in the middle of the lake surrounding the castle. Cassandra and Rapunzel sat in the boat together, waiting for the show to begin, both of them feeling nervous for different reasons.

“I don't see any other little boats out here,” said Rapunzel, observing that most of the people gathered to watch the lanterns were either inside the city itself, or together in larger boats positioned closer to the castle.

“When me and my dad used to watch the lantern ceremony, we'd come out in a boat just like this,” said Cassandra. “A lot of other people did too, but it's sort of frowned upon now.”

“Why?” asked Rapunzel, curious as to why so many people would pass up the best seat in the house for such a beautiful event.

“People would stand up to watch the lanterns and would fall out into the lake,” said Cassandra. “The guards would end up having to rescue dozens of people every year. Finally my dad got a rule put in place that people had to watch the lanterns from either the town or the big boats.”

“Ahh... so this is another way to rebel against your dad, hmm?” asked Rapunzel with a smirk. Cassandra rolled her eyes, but smirked back, and stopped paddling so that she could enjoy the show with Rapunzel. “Thanks for bringing me out here, Cass.”

“You're welcome,” Cassandra replied, leaning against the back of the boat and waiting for the lanterns to begin lighting up. As she waited, she could see that Rapunzel was starting to get nervous, and she leaned over to see what was wrong. “What's wrong?”

“I just....” Rapunzel started to say, before letting out a sigh and clutching her chest. “Cass, I know I should be really happy and excited right now, but to tell you the truth, I'm actually terrified.”

“Hey, I'm the one out in the middle of a lake in a rickety little boat and I can't swim,” said Cassandra, trying to lighten the mood with some sarcasm. Rapunzel giggled a little, but still had a nervous look on her face. “Just nerves?”

“I've been looking out a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what it might feel like when those lights rise in the sky,” said Rapunzel, looking up into the night sky with a mix of longing and fear. “What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?”

Cassandra had gotten used to disappointment in her life, and she started to conjure up a memory of her own experience with the matter. Six times she'd gone out for the Royal Guard, and six times she'd failed. She thought her life would be one of heroism and adventure, but she could barely get out of the castle. And yet, as she looked at Rapunzel, she could see only optimism and hope, none of the world-weariness that Cassandra had acquired in the nearly twenty-two years she'd been alive. She didn't want to lie to Rapunzel and give her ideas about the world that weren't really true, but she didn't want to crush her hopes either. She decided to be honest, but also gentle... everything Rapunzel had been to her.

“Raps... when I used to look up at those lights with my dad, I'd see so much hope and beauty. I'd see the people of Corona paying tribute to the lost princess... and I'd feel the hope that someday I could save her. They don't mean as much to me as they used to, but... I hope you feel the same way about them that I did the first time I saw them. Who knows, maybe I'll feel something too.”

“And what do I do next?” asked Rapunzel. “What do you do when your dream comes true?”

Cassandra laughed to herself for a moment... not at Rapunzel, but almost as if to say 'tell me how it feels'... but then she could see the earnest searching in Rapunzel's eyes, and that Rapunzel was looking for an answer, from her, as to what she should do with the rest of her life.

_How can I even answer a question like that?_

“Rapunzel... this might be your dream, but... it isn't your _destiny_. I don't know what that is, and no one can tell you what that is, but I know this... your destiny isn't in that tower. It's somewhere out here, out in the world, and only you get to decide what it's going to be. Rapunzel... _go find your destiny_.”

Rapunzel put her hand to her chest again, and felt her heart continuing to beat fast. She'd spent so much time thinking about her dream, that she'd never really thought about life beyond it. She'd always imagined herself living in that tower, even after she'd gotten to see the floating lights. She'd seen so much outside the tower, and for the first time ever, she'd truly begun to think about what she was going to do with her life... her entire life, not just those four walls. 

“My... destiny...” said Rapunzel quietly. She leaned against the side of the boat and looked over at Cassandra, who gave her an encouraging smile. Rapunzel smiled back at her, and the two sat together in the boat, waiting for the lights to rise.

O-O-O

“Thank you, Fidella... thank you for looking out for Cassandra.”

The captain stood just outside the palace with Fidella, who had finally tracked him down just as he was preparing to give his nightly report to the king. It was nearly time for the lighting of the lanterns, but there was still plenty of work for the Guard to do, and receiving Cassandra's note put the captain's mind at ease.

“Keep an eye on her,” said the captain, stroking Fidella's side. “Make sure she's safe... I don't know when she's coming home, but keep her safe until she does.”

Fidella neighed and rode off, back toward the town, as the captain entered the palace while reading his daughter's note. It was short and concise, direct and to the point, as he'd always taught her to be.

_Dad-_

_I'm safe and I'm unharmed. I'm still searching for Flynn Rider, and I don't plan on coming back until he's been apprehended. I'm sorry to have worried you, but this is something I have to do. I'll be safe, you taught me everything I need to know. I'll catch Rider and return soon._

_-Cassandra_

The captain put the note in his pocket as he walked up to the balcony, where the king and queen were preparing to step out to release the lantern. As he approached, the king turned to him, trying his best to keep his composure on this sad anniversary. His queen was standing next to him, and she smiled as the captain approached.

“Captain,” said the king, his voice unwavering despite his grief. “Any news on your daughter?”

“She's safe,” replied the captain. “I just received a note from her, and she's doing well.”

“That's good to hear,” said the king.

“Your majesty, I've completed my perimeter sweep, and my guards are in position. We've got an extra patrol near the crown room in case Rider or anyone else makes another attempt on the crown, and I've got another team working security near the town square.”

As depressed as the king was feeling on this most solemn occasion, he noticed that his captain was feeling under the weather as well, though he was also trying to hide it.

“Is everything all right?” the king asked.

“Your majesty?” the captain replied.

“I know you've been distracted by this all day, and I understand completely. We've all been worried about you and Cassandra.”

The captain sighed, hoping the issue wouldn't be brought up... not that the king wasn't welcome to bring up the issue of Cassandra, the captain was more than willing to discuss it, but he knew that today was about the lost princess, and he felt that it would be improper to bring up his own daughter when his king and queen were mourning theirs.

“...I've decided not to impede her pursuit of Rider any longer,” said the captain, bowing his head. “I don't agree with what she's doing, but I acted completely out of line. I tried to arrest my own daughter... I don't know what came over me.”

“As her commanding officer, you were well within your rights to-” the king started, before a glare from his queen stopped him.

“Legally, I suppose I was,” said the captain, “but morally... Cassandra's a grown woman, and I had no right to try and tell her what to do. I thought I was keeping her safe, but I'm worried I might've driven her away forever.”

“She loves you, and she knows you love her,” said the queen, reaching over and placing her hand on the captain's. “She'll come back... and you can both talk this out, father to daughter.”

“I just hope I get that chance soon. I still don't know what I was thinking, it's just... this time of year, I always worry about Cassandra more, after what happened to-”

The captain stopped himself, worried he'd brought up a painful memory for the royal parents... but they both smiled as much as they could to try and reassure him.

“It's all right. It's been a blessing getting to watch you raise Cassandra,” said the king. “I think it might have taught me a thing or two about raising my own daughter... when we find her.”

The captain, who still had his doubts that the lost princess would ever be found, mentally changed that 'when' to 'if' in his mind, but held his tongue, and decided instead to change the subject to allow the king and queen to begin the ceremony.

“I'm going to make one more sweep near the crown room,” said the captain.

“There's no need,” replied the king. “You should get some rest, you've had a long day and you've earned it. I'm sure your guards can handle things here just fine, you've trained them well.”

“...of course, your majesty,” said the captain, before saluting the king and queen. “Thank you.”

“It's been good talking with you, old friend,” replied the king.

After the captain left the room, the king turned to the queen, and finally allowed his shoulders to slump and his composure to fade. The queen reached up to adjust the pendant that the king wore around his neck, and after holding back all his emotions for so long, he shed a single tear, which the queen reached up and gently wiped from his face. Then, she pressed her hands to his cheeks, and the two exchanged a loving but mournful gaze. Eighteen years of grief weighed heavily on both of them, and the ceremony got harder and harder every time. The kingdom of Corona shared their sadness, but it did nothing to ease the burden they felt, wondering where their daughter had gone. After exchanging a few more moments of silent loss, they stepped out onto the balcony, where a single lit lantern awaited for them. They took it in hand together, and after looking at each other one last time, they lifted the lantern up to the sky. They were joined by hundreds of people on the steps below, and as they lit and lifted their own lanterns, thousands more joined them, all throughout the city and on the surrounding boats, lighting their lanterns and preparing to let them float into the sky.

And out on the lake, Rapunzel and Cassandra sat and waited. Cassandra looked out toward the city, and then back at Rapunzel, whose gaze was focused on the water and on the flowers floating within. Finally, Rapunzel's eyes looked up, and she could see the king and queen's lantern floating up into the sky... the first lantern she'd ever seen this close. Her dream was coming true before her eyes, and her heart continued to pound, as she felt a joyous warmth start to radiate outward from her chest.

_All those days watching from the windows_

_All those years outside looking in_

Rapunzel then felt excitement overtake her, and before Cassandra could stop her or even say anything, the blonde had stood up inside the boat and was walking over to grab onto the wooden post jutting outward from the front. Cassandra fell onto her back, startled as she tried to remain inside, hoping Rapunzel wouldn't capsize the boat and knock both of them into the water.

_All that time, never even knowing_

_Just how blind I'd been_

As Rapunzel clung to the post, she watched as the first large cloud of lanterns made their way up from the castle and lifted into the sky. She smiled, a smile that nothing could erase from her lips, a childlike wonder in her eyes, which were fixated on every single lantern to come up from the castle. Her dream was finally a reality, and it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

_Now I'm here, blinking in the starlight_

_Now I'm here, suddenly I see_

_Standing here it's oh so clear_

_I'm where I'm meant to be_

Lanterns from the boats, and thousands of lanterns from the city rose to join their brethren in the sky. Rapunzel watched, transfixed, trembling with wonder and joy, no fear in her heart even as the boat rocked beneath her.

_And at last I see the light_

_And it's like a fog has lifted_

_And at last I see the light_

_And it's like the sky is new_

It was all she'd ever dreamed of and more, and Rapunzel's spirit was lifted even higher than those lanterns. The lights were illuminating everything around them, and Rapunzel was bathed in their glow. Her expression said it all, and everything she was seeing justified everything she'd been through to get here.

_And it's warm and real and bright_

_And the world has somehow shifted_

Cassandra, who'd been knocked flat on her back by Rapunzel's sudden jump, had to take a moment to catch her breath, spending a few seconds worrying that Rapunzel might fall off and that she, despite being unable to swim, would have to jump in after her... but upon seeing that Rapunzel was quite all right, and was in fact more than all right as those lanterns started to float into the sky, she couldn't help but feel the same sense of wonder she had when she'd first seen those lanterns as a little girl. Even though they'd lost their magic for Cassandra, there was clearly someone in this world that the magic hadn't been lost on... and some of that magic had found its way back to Cassandra, who had a satisfied grin on her face as Rapunzel looked back at her. Their eyes met, and Cassandra suddenly realized that she'd forgotten something.

“...the lanterns....! Oh.... wait a minute... I know I grabbed some...!”

Rapunzel giggled, watching Cassandra fish the lanterns out of a nearby sack, and then watching her struggle to light them before finally doing so and presenting them awkwardly.

_All at once, everything looks different_

_Now that I see you_

“Raps, it's been a while since I've done this, but...”

“You're doing fine,” said Rapunzel sweetly, sitting down in the boat across from her. Their eyes continued to meet, and Cassandra blushed slightly, looking away and biting her lip. “Is it as nice as you remember?”

“Actually... yeah,” said Cassandra, managing to gather up enough courage to look back over at Rapunzel. “Hey Raps, I've been thinking about what I said before, about destiny.... the thing is, I've never really thought about what my destiny is either. But... these last couple days, I think maybe... I think... listen... I....”

Cassandra groaned, slapping her hand against her forehead. She began to blush even harder, and Rapunzel reached over and placed a hand on her knee.

“Cass, thank you,” said Rapunzel. “For what you said before.”

“What?”

“Before we came out here, I didn't know what I was going to do... when I got back to the tower. But after talking to you, and after hearing you talk about destiny... I think I get it now. And... I'm not scared anymore.”

“Rapunzel, I'll take you back,” said Cassandra. “You don't have to help me catch Flynn Rider. You don't have to do anything for me. If you want to go back to the tower, I'll take you.”

“I promised,” Rapunzel replied. She smiled warmly at Cassandra, her eyes showing that she had no intention of going back on her word. “I told you... I'm not scared of anything.”

Cassandra's hands trembled for a moment, and both of them looked into each other's eyes as Cassandra handed one of the lanterns to her.

_Then come back to the palace with me,_ thought Cassandra, though she didn't say it, not wanting to do anything to make Rapunzel think she was trying to tell her what to do. Instead, she just smiled at her, and then the two lifted their lanterns into the air together.

_All those days, fighting with my anger_

_All those years, waiting all alone_

_All that time, seeking out a part of me I've never known_

As the lanterns lifted to the sky, Cassandra and Rapunzel were surrounded by them, illuminating the night as brightly as the day. Her eyes then drifted from the lanterns to Rapunzel, who was peering out from the side of the boat, still completely entranced, but aware enough of the moment to look back at Cass and point out the prettiest lanterns to her, her expression saying 'can you believe we're here right now?'.

_Now she's here, shining in the starlight_

_Now she's here, suddenly I feel_

_If she's here, my destiny_

_Is finally so real_

Rapunzel had just finished lifting the lantern she'd pointed out to Cassandra before, and as it floated into the air, Cassandra reached over and took her hand. Rapunzel looked back at her, and the two saw in each other's eyes a love neither of them had ever experienced before. Rapunzel reciprocated immediately, taking both of Cassandra's hands into hers, and then they began to sing together, their hearts joining in the same melody.

_And at last I see the light_

_And it's like the fog has lifted_

_And at last I see the light_

_And it's like the sky is new_

The world had disappeared completely, except for the boat, the lanterns, and each other. Cassandra, having spent her whole life fighting so hard to prove herself to her father and join the royal guard, wasn't even thinking about catching Flynn Rider. And Rapunzel, who'd spent her whole life dreaming of seeing the floating lights in the sky, had immediately found a new dream. They had found each other, and had fallen for each other so quickly that it all seemed surreal, but nothing could be further from the truth... they really were there, in that boat, in that moment, a moment that seemed to last forever.

_And it's warm and real and bright_

_And the world has somehow shifted_

Inside the boat, Cassandra and Rapunzel held each other's hands and looked into each other's eyes with more affection than either of them had ever felt in their entire lives. They needed each other, more than either of them yet realized, and they didn't want any of this to end.

_All at once, everything looks different_

_Now that I see you_

They leaned in toward one another, still holding hands, their faces drawing ever closer. Pascal, who'd been watching quietly nearby, turned bright pink with his own blush, no longer distrusting or disliking Cassandra like he used to, knowing as well as Rapunzel did that Cassandra was a friend... and now, she was even more.

_Now that I see you..._

Rapunzel reached up and gently brushed a strand of hair from Cassandra's face, then began to pull her even closer. Rapunzel's eyes then closed, and Cassandra's started to close as well... then, she noticed something on the nearby shore.

Several guards from the palace were running past, in pursuit of someone. They ran by so quickly that by the time Cassandra drew Rapunzel's attention to them, they were already gone.

“Cass? What did you see?”

“Some guards from the palace, chasing someone... I think it might be Flynn Rider.”

“Do you think he got the crown?” asked Rapunzel, worry lining her voice.

“Maybe,” said Cassandra, starting to paddle over. “Raps, are you sure you're still with me?”

“Of course,” said Rapunzel, helping Cassandra with the paddling. “Always!”

They quickly reached the shore, and climbed out of the boat together. Cassandra started to silently curse herself, hoping it wasn't too late to catch Rider, wondering how she'd managed to get so caught up in her time out on the lake with Rapunzel that she hadn't even looked toward their surroundings to see if the thief had made his move. Sure, for a few moments, she'd forgotten all about Rider, about her dream of joining the Royal Guard and even about her dream of being a hero... but seeing those guards run through the forest immediately re-activated her fighting instincts, and she desperately hoped that she hadn't let her chance to catch the thief slip through her fingers.

“We need to hurry!” said Cassandra, snapping back into her more serious demeanor. “We can't let him get away, and we can't let the guards get him before we do!”

As Rapunzel followed Cassandra into the forest in pursuit of what they hoped was Flynn Rider, she felt a mix of excitement and worry. She was worried to see Cassandra in this state, knowing what she was like when she was pursuing a criminal... but at the same time, this was another adventure, and Rapunzel couldn't help but be thrilled as she and Cassandra ran through the forest together... especially now that she was finally starting to realize her growing feelings for the brave young woman.

_Don't worry, Cass. I'll help you track him down... you helped me realize my dream, and now I'm going to help you realize yours._

They could hear lots of shuffling and scurrying as they ran, and even some yelling from the guards, whose torches could be seen lighting up the trees off in the distance. They still had some ground to make up, but Cassandra could tell that they were getting closer to the guards, which meant that they were getting closer to Rider. Unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to just run in the same direction that the guards were running, as Cassandra didn't want them trying to interfere... or worse, trying to deputize her and boss her around. She gestured for Rapunzel to follow her down a side road, hoping to avoid the guards while also cutting Rider off at the pass.

“Raps, this way!” shouted Cassandra, pointing down the road. “I think I saw someone run down here, it's gotta be Rider!”

Meanwhile, Rapunzel's attention was elsewhere... a small flash of light in another direction, through a grove of trees. She pointed out the flash, though it was gone by the time Cassandra looked over.

“Cass, I don't think Flynn Rider would've stuck to the main road! They'd go into the trees, where it'd be easier to lose the guards! We should go this way!”

“We don't have time to argue, I saw Flynn down here, Rapunzel!”

Cassandra's voice had started to rise, and Rapunzel's eyes widened, but she stuck to her instincts and continued to point into the trees.

“There was a flash of light, like it was the moon or the lanterns reflecting off the crown! It has to be Flynn, I know it!”

“Rapunzel!” Cassandra shouted, her voice rising sharply. Rapunzel gasped, and Cassandra's tone softened a bit. “...Raps, I...”

“Look, I know how much you want to catch Flynn Rider... I want to catch him too, I wouldn't steer you wrong... please, just trust me.”

Rapunzel reached over and took Cassandra's hands in hers, but Cassandra just couldn't shake the figure she'd seen going off down the road. She also worried that the two of them would get lost in the trees together... what Rapunzel saw was probably just a firefly, or maybe she hadn't seen anything at all. She trusted Rapunzel, and knew she wouldn't deliberately steer her wrong, but Rapunzel's instincts just weren't honed like Cassandra's were. Then again, what if Rapunzel was right? She was skilled and sharp, what if she really had seen a glint off the crown? Cassandra's mind was in turmoil, and they were running out of time.

“....maybe we could split up,” said Rapunzel. “You can follow the road, and I'll go check in the trees, and we'll meet back up here.”

“Splitting up's a bad idea,” replied Cassandra. “You don't know what's out there, it could be Flynn, it could be someone else. It's too dangerous.”

“I know it's dangerous, but I want to help, and you know I can protect myself...”

Cassandra sighed. It went against her better judgment, but every second spent arguing was a second that Flynn Rider could be using to get away. Plus, she wanted to show she trusted Rapunzel, after failing to trust her before. They wouldn't be going too far apart from each other, and they were just a scream away if they got into trouble.

“All right, but don't take too long,” said Cassandra. “You've got your frying pan, right?”

“Of course,” replied Rapunzel, proudly twirling it around. “You've got your sword?”

“Always,” replied Cassandra. “Don't worry, I'll try not to stab anyone.”

The two took one more look at each other before separating and running off in separate directions, Cassandra down the road and Rapunzel into the trees. Cassandra ran as fast as she could, and after just a few seconds of running, she could hear a rustling nearby.

_I knew it,_ thought Cassandra, smirking as she ran toward the sound. She thought about calling out to Rapunzel, but she didn't want to pull her from her pursuit for what might be just an owl.  _If it is Rider, I won't let him get away again._

Cassandra continued her pursuit, and the rustling got louder and louder. As she pushed branches aside, she could see a shadowy figure off in the distance. It looked like Rider, but she couldn't tell, and the figure disappeared past another line of trees before she could reach them.

_You're mine..._ thought Cassandra, pushing past the tree line and unsheathing her sword. “Gotcha!”

Cassandra was now in a clearing, standing near a lit campfire. Before she had time to realize that a fleeing Flynn Rider wouldn't have had time to start a fire, she realized instead that she was pointing her sword at someone who definitely wasn't him. The man she was pointing her sword at was a tall, imposing redheaded man with a patch over one eye, and as that man began walking toward Cassandra, she could hear a voice coming from behind her.

“Actually,” came the voice, causing Cassandra to turn around and see another man, this one with long sideburns, “we've caught you.”

_Stabbingtons,_ thought Cassandra. Her heart dropped, but only for a moment, and she kept her sword extended as the two of them walked toward her.  _I found the Stabbington Brothers. Great._

Cassandra began to back up, while the Stabbington Brothers converged on one another and continued walking toward her, backing her toward the edge of the clearing. Cassandra again thought about calling out to Rapunzel, but these two were a lot more dangerous than Flynn Rider, and she couldn't let Rapunzel get hurt. Besides, Cassandra knew she could take them. They were bigger, and there were more of them, but she had a sword and a dagger and fifteen years of training.

“Caught me?” said Cassandra, looking back and forth between them. “What are you talking about?”

“Exactly what I said,” replied the sideburned man.

“Thought you wanted the crown,” said Cassandra.

“Oh, we do, but there'll be time for that later. In the meantime, your dad's been a thorn in our side for years, and we've decided to take a little detour from treasure hunting to pay his dear daughter a visit.”

Cassandra felt a chill go up her spine as she realized that the Stabbingtons really were after her. She wondered just how long they'd been thinking about this new plan of theirs, and just what her father did to piss them off so much, besides, of course, all the chasing and jailing and foiling of their schemes.

“You really want to tangle, huh?” asked Cassandra, trying to show some confidence in her voice as she took a step forward, sword in hand. “Well, you two aren't Rider, but dragging you two back to my dad in chains oughta impress him just as much. Maybe more!”

The two Stabbingtons just exchanged a laugh, both looking unimpressed by Cassandra's boast, but at the same time, mildly impressed by her gumption. Then, the sideburned Stabbington lunged at her. She dodged to the side, swinging her sword at his arm, only for him to pull his dagger out and parry it.

“Planning on taking us dead or alive, little girl?” asked the sideburned brother, as he pushed his dagger toward Cassandra. She stepped back, causing him to fall forward slightly, giving her time to aim a punch that landed squarely against his jaw. “Unnnnggh!”

“Alive, but if you're bleeding a little, it's no skin off my nose,” said Cassandra. Suddenly, she felt herself being grabbed from behind, two strong arms wrapped around her own. The arms squeezed, and Cassandra let out a grunt before dropping her sword to the ground. “Nnnnff! Dammit... forgot I was fighting two of you!”

She swung her leg back, aiming her heel at her eyepatched assailant's groin, but he blocked the kick against his strong thigh and continued to squeeze Cassandra tightly. Cassandra struggled and grimaced, watching as the sideburned Stabbington walked toward her, sheathing his dagger and preparing a knockout punch.

“Same to you,” said the Stabbington, rearing back his fist. Cassandra began to flail her legs wildly, and managed to aim a kick that landed on the eyepatched Stabbington's knee. He roared in pain as Cassandra's heel hit his kneecap, and she slipped out of his grasp, barely avoiding the punch which instead slammed into her former captor's chest.

“Aren't you supposed to be hitting me?” said Cassandra, enjoying a laugh as the two Stabbingtons glared at each other, the eyepatched one hopping on one leg while the sideburned Stabbington angrily clenched his now throbbing hand. “Maybe you can beat each other up for me!”

The Stabbingtons angrily focused their attention back on Cassandra, who rolled away from them and picked her sword up from the ground. She started to back up, and they both lunged at her, using their daggers to parry her defensive strikes. She managed to disarm one of them by slicing across his hand, then, as the other one ducked under her swing and charged her, she leaped up and kicked him in the forehead before landing behind him with a flourish. Before she had time to issue another taunt, the side of the eyepatched Stabbington's right arm careened into her face, sending her flying backward, landing hard on her rear end. She groaned, rubbing her bruised tailbone and climbing back to her feet. The Stabbingtons advanced on her again, and she looked back toward the trees, once again thinking of running.

_I don't know if I can take them both by myself..._ thought Cassandra.  _Maybe I should run... but I can't lead them toward Rapunzel, either. No... I have to stand my ground. I haven't trained my whole life to fight just to run away._

Cassandra gritted her teeth and dug in, gripping the hilt of her sword tightly and staring the Stabbingtons down.

“You want me, you sons of bitches? Come and get me!”

O-O-O

Rapunzel's pursuit had taken her farther from Cassandra than she would've liked, out of the earshot out of the fighting and well away from the main road. She thought of doubling back, and with no sign of the gleam and no sign of anyone nearby, she decided to turn around, hoping she could find the place where she'd left Cassandra.

_Maybe I only saw a firefly..._ thought Rapunzel, shaking her head softly and turning around to go back.  _I'm sorry, Cass... I wanted to help but maybe we should've stuck together..._

Rapunzel turned and ran, wanting to get back to Cassandra as quickly as possible. She ran through the trees as fast as she could, and started to call out Cassandra's name.

“Cassan- dooof!”

Rapunzel slammed hard into something, or someone, and fell onto her back. She could hear someone else fall with her, and when she climbed to her feet, she once again saw the glint, coming from a small brown sack slung around the shoulder of the person she'd just bumped into.

“Unnnh... I'm so sorry....!”

When Rapunzel made it to her feet, she thought she might be face to face with a member of the Royal Guard, or hopefully Cassandra. Instead, she came face to face with the very person she was looking for.

Flynn Rider was slightly out of breath, having just raided the palace while everyone was distracted by the floating lantern ceremony. He'd evaded one group of guards inside the palace, only to nearly run into another, and was now staring down the strangest looking girl he'd ever seen. He didn't know whether to say something or to run, as he stared into one of the most beautiful sets of green eyes he'd ever seen.

“You're... not a guard, are you?” stammered Flynn, rubbing his forehead and trying to shake off the collision. The first thing he noticed about Rapunzel was her hair, which, even braided as it was, was still quite impressive, and he could only imagine how long it must be once it was let down. “I think they make you cut your hair before joining. I could be wrong.”

Rapunzel soon realized she was looking at Flynn... she could recognize him from his wanted poster. She took her frying pan out and swung it right down at his head, but he managed to dodge the blow just in time, surprised by Rapunzel's aggressiveness and equally surprised by the angry looking chameleon perched on her shoulder.

“Whoa! Blondie, you're swinging that thing around like you're one of my ex-girlfriends! ...wait a minute, do I know you from somewhere? Because I have been a lot of places-”

Rapunzel swung the frying pan again, and again, Flynn's reflexes saved him from a knockout blow.

“Put your hands in the air, right now!” shouted Rapunzel, pointing her frying pan at him and preparing to swing again. “You are under arrest!”

Flynn laughed nervously, putting his hands up and starting to step away... then turning and running as fast as he could. Rapunzel reached up toward her hair, and if it hadn't been braided the way it was, she'd have used it to tie him up and drag him back... but without the ability to use her hair, she was helpless to stop Flynn from getting away.

Or... was she?

“Stop!” shouted Rapunzel, grabbing her frying pan and tossing it into Flynn's fleeing feet. It slammed hard into one of his ankles, tripping him up and causing him to fall flat on his face. “Oooh... sorry!”

Flynn writhed on the ground for a few moments, grimacing and grabbing his ankle in pain as Rapunzel walked over to pick up her frying pan. Using his good leg, he kicked the pan into the nearby trees.

“Hey!” Rapunzel shouted, running after the pan and giving Flynn time to get back up.

“I don't know what you think you're doing, but it's dangerous out here, especially at night!” shouted Flynn, climbing to his feet and still hobbling slightly as he watched Rapunzel bend over to look for her pan. “What are you, some kind of bounty hunter or something?”

“I made a promise to a friend to catch you, and that's what I'm going to do!” said Rapunzel. She stopped looking for her frying pan and turned back to face Flynn, looking nervous but determined. “So... make this easy for yourself and stop running! I don't want to have to hurt you again!”

“A friend, huh?” asked Flynn curiously. “Would this friend happen to be a member of the Royal Guard, or are they a bounty hunter too?”

“My friend _wants_ to be in the guard, but until she catches you, she can't be... I'm helping her achieve her dream.”

Flynn turned to run, but his curiosity about this strange girl and her interesting friend, along with the continued throbbing in his ankle, led him to stay, and he continued asking questions, wondering if this girl might have something to do with the two ladies his friend Lance Strongbow said had accosted him earlier back at the inn.

“Why are you out here after me and not your friend?”

“We split up.”

“Isn't that dangerous?”

Rapunzel clenched her fists and walked over to Flynn, who backed away nervously. The look in Rapunzel's eyes was one of determination not to be underestimated by _anyone_... not her mother, not Cassandra, and most certainly not this wanted thief.

“I made her a promise,” said Rapunzel. “And when I make a promise, I never, _ever_ break that promise. Ever.”

Pascal, still sitting on Rapunzel's shoulder, nodded with a look of equal determination. Flynn glared at him.

“And who's the frog?”

“Chameleon!” said Rapunzel. “Now you listen, Flynn Rider... I know you stole the crown from the royal palace, and you're going to give it back, _after_ you surrender to me and my friend.”

Flynn just looked at Rapunzel as if she was a crazy person, raising his eyebrow at her before rolling his eyes and letting out a sigh.

“Okay, listen, I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice,” he said, before giving Rapunzel his best pouty expression, his eyes looking deeply into hers. Rapunzel just blinked at him, confused and annoyed. “...oh, come on! First that Cassandra girl, and now you? Is my smolder broken or something?”

“You tried that look on her too?” asked Rapunzel, before starting to giggle. “Honestly, it _is_ kind of cute, but I definitely don't think it would work on her...”

“Wait a minute... you know Cassandra? ... _wait a minute_! You're the ones who attacked my buddy Lance back at the inn! Oh, he told me about you... he said she was all mean, but you were all nice, and it was freaking him out!”

“Aww, Lance is a sweetheart,” said Rapunzel, smiling warmly. “He was so nice, telling us exactly what you two were up to...”

“You threatened him!” shouted Flynn, who was angry at Rapunzel for kidnapping his friend, though not angry enough that he'd ever hurt her. Indeed, as he raised his voice to shout at Rapunzel, he could see a hint of guilt on her face, and he started to feel bad as well, realizing that this girl really was as sweet as Lance had told him she was... though in the back of his cynical mind, he also kept open the possibility that it might all be just an act. “Hey... but you were just being bossed around by Cassandra, right? She's the one who put you up to it, didn't she?”

“No!” shouted Rapunzel, though the guilty look in her eyes and the fact that she wouldn't look at Flynn said otherwise. “...sort of.”

“Hey...” said Flynn, walking behind Rapunzel and putting his arm around her. “Don't feel bad, you didn't do anything wrong. You were just doing what your friend told you to do, and that's okay! And now we can put this little incident behind us and go our own separate-”

Rapunzel elbowed Flynn in the gut, not hard enough to hurt him too badly, but enough to make him double over and release his arm from over her shoulders. She turned and grabbed him by the collar, holding him tightly and not letting him go.

“You are coming with me and Cassandra back to the palace to answer for your crimes!” shouted Rapunzel, looking fiercely into Flynn's eyes. “Do I make myself clear?”

“...yes?” said Flynn, trying to think about how he might escape from this surprisingly strong girl.

“Good,” said Rapunzel. “Now stay there while I go get my frying pan.”

Rapunzel released Flynn's collar and turned back to fetch her pan. Flynn thought about running, and the pain in his ankle had subsided enough to allow him to run, but he didn't know if he could run at full speed just yet, and if she got that pan back, it probably wouldn't matter. He watched her go to pick it up again, and tried his best to play on her sympathies.

“Hey... you know I'm not a bad guy, right?” said Flynn. “I haven't hurt anyone, I'm just a thief.”

“Stealing hurts people,” said Rapunzel, pointing to Flynn's satchel. “That crown belongs to the lost princess... it's the only thing the king and queen have left of their daughter.”

“And it's worth enough to buy a thousand meals for a thousand orphans for a thousand days,” said Flynn.

“Yes, but you don't plan on using the money to buy food for orphans, do you?” asked Rapunzel, glaring at him.

_There was a time when I would've_ , thought Flynn, bowing his head as he felt the stinging guilt from Rapunzel's voice. Rapunzel walked over to him, and used her hand to lift up his chin. For a moment, she could see the guilt in his eyes, but he looked away from her and reverted back to his default charm. “...maybe I'll use some of it?”

Rapunzel wanted to grab him by the wrist and drag him back over to her pan, then clobber him upside the head... but then she remembered something she'd seen back at the library. As she was reading a book on calculus, and figuring out exactly what a derivative was, she saw Cassandra looking through the fiction section for something called  _Excella the Brave._ She hadn't found it, but Rapunzel remembered seeing a book titled  _The Tales Of Flynnigan Rider_ . She hadn't thought much of it initially, but now, seeing Flynn and thinking about his name, the connection finally clicked.

“...did your parents name you after someone called Flynnigan Rider?” asked Rapunzel, more curious than angry. Flynn immediately blushed and looked away.

“N...no... of course not... I've never heard that name before in my life!”

“Because I saw a book-”

Before Rapunzel could continue, she and Flynn both heard shuffling in the nearby trees, soon accompanied by loud, gruff voices.

“Over here, quickly!”

_The guards!_ thought Flynn. He smiled at Rapunzel. “I'd love to continue this conversation, but I'd best be off... got to donate this stolen crown to the local orphanage!”

Flynn dashed into the trees, with Rapunzel helpless to stop him. She reached out for him, but by the time she did, he was already gone.

_I can't let him get away, and I can't let the guards get him!_

Rapunzel saw the guards coming, and turned to run after Flynn. She expected the guards to run with her, but she didn't expect the next thing to come out of the lead guard's mouth.

“There she is, grab her!” shouted the guard, pointing directly at Rapunzel.

“What?!” Rapunzel stammered.

“It's just like she said, this is the girl! Get her!”

_Just like... she said? Who's 'she'? What's happening?!_

Before the guard could grab her, Rapunzel fled... and they pursued. Now, she was no longer the hunter, but the hunted, and as she ran, one thought echoed through her mind.

_Who told the guards to come after me?!_

O-O-O

The eyepatched Stabbington's fist slammed into the grassy ground an inch from Cassandra's face. Cassandra had already been knocked down by the tall man, and now she'd almost been knocked out. She clambered to her feet, only to be grabbed by the ankle and lifted up off the ground, held upside down by one of the Stabbington brothers as the other one made his way toward her.

“Put me down you one-eyed troll!” Cassandra shouted through gritted teeth, swinging wildly back and forth as she was dangled in midair.

“Ouch, that hurts,” said the sideburned Stabbington, walking toward her while wiping a trickle of blood from his nose. Cassandra had just kicked him there, and he was planning on returning the favor. “The insult, not the kick.”

“I've got plenty more of both,” said Cassandra, who suddenly slipped her foot out of the boot the Stabbington was holding. As he looked up at the now empty shoe, she swung her other leg around and under his own legs, taking both out from under him and causing him to fling the boot up into the air. Cassandra caught it, and as the sideburned Stabbington lunged to grab her, she swung the boot hard into his face, knocking him back and giving her the chance to put it back on her foot. “Or maybe I'll just punch you.”

She swung her fist, catching him in his jaw and sending him reeling. With both Stabbingtons felled, she leapt up onto a nearby tree branch, perching herself on it and waiting for the eyepatched Stabbington to stand. He stood up and took a swing at her, and she leapt down at him.

_This should knock him out for good,_ thought Cassandra, pointing both her feet at his skull. She let out a loud scream and prepared for impact... only to feel his hands grab her ankles and slam her down toward the ground.  _NOT GOOD!_

Cassandra hit the ground with incredible force, knocking the wind out of her and making her vision blurry. Immediately, the brute was on top of her, using his weight to pin down her arms and legs and put even more pressure on her chest.

“Aaaaaah!” Cassandra choked out, struggling furiously while feeling an elbow being pressed down hard into her ribs. “Get the hell off me!”

The eyepatched Stabbington just laughed, enjoying the feeling of Cassandra struggling to get free underneath him. She'd landed several rough blows and had given him plenty of bruises, and the thought of her suffering made him feel a sadistic glee, satisfied to be returning some of the pain she'd inflicted on him. His brother watched from nearby, smirking with his arms across his chest, watching as Cassandra continued to struggle and expend the rest of her energy.

“You ready to give up?” he said, more of a taunt than an actual question.

“Bite me,” Cassandra spat, before glaring harshly at the man on top of her. “Get off or I'll break your arm!”

He laughed again, and continued to hold Cassandra down, his legs pinning hers, one arm across both of hers, the other arm continuing to press into her chest to force the life out of her. Cassandra kept struggling, scrambling to think of an escape while hoping Rapunzel would be all right.

_Raps... stay out of this... just find Rider... I'll be fine..._

Cassandra wasn't so sure she'd be fine... trapped like she was, trapped by just one of the Stabbingtons, with another watching and waiting... and feeling the air and energy start to slip away. She could smell her attacker's foul breath as he leaned in toward her, and for a moment, she thought he might be trying to force a kiss on her.

_I'll bite his tongue out if he does,_ thought Cassandra, almost hopeful that he might try it. Instead, he laughed again, and she could see the numerous teeth he was missing, wrinkling her nose and wretching slightly at the stench emanating from his mouth.  _Back off, you nasty son of a-_

Cassandra looked into his eyes, just a couple inches away from hers. She smirked.

_Or don't._

She slammed her forehead into his as hard and as fast as she could, hoping his head wasn't that much harder than hers. The headbutt hurt, but it hurt the unprepared Stabbington a lot more, and as he leaned back involuntarily, she wrenched one of her arms free and jabbed her finger at his unpatched eye. He roared again, rolling off of Cassandra and howling in pain, and she kicked him in the ribs a couple times as he struggled to stand before once again leaping into a nearby tree.

“Ahhhhh, aahhhhhhh!!!” groaned the eyepatched Stabbington, hand clutched to his injured eye.

“Where'd she go?!”

As one Stabbington looked around, and the other tried just to see, Cassandra once again perched on the branch, awaiting her chance to take one of them down. This time, she didn't miss. As the eyepatched Stabbington's vision started to return, the first, and last thing he saw, was Cassandra leaping down from the tree, fist extended toward his face. Her aim was fierce and true, and he was brought down immediately, knocked unconscious by her skillful punch and angular momentum. Then she turned to face the other Stabbington, picking her discarded sword up from the ground just as he unsheathed his dagger.

“You sure you want to ride this carriage?” Cassandra said, fiercely glaring at the last Stabbington standing.

“You'll pay for that,” he said, stalking over toward her.

The two ran toward each other, and Cassandra slid between his legs as he lunged toward to stab her. She stabbed down at his ankle, but he lifted up his foot and kicked her in the face, knocking her back with a grunt of pain. He then stalked after her as she crawled backward on the ground, attempting to evade him. He stomped at her, and she elbowed his ankle. Unfazed, he stomped down again, and she grabbed his foot and twisted it, wrenching him down to the ground. He reached over, grabbing at her throat, only for her to grab his wrist and twist it as hard as she could, wrenching the bone and forcing out a loud cry of pain from the larger man. She stood up, and he staggered up, and they came at each other again, throwing punches this time. She dodged his punch, then landed a punch of her own. He swung his head down at her and she elbowed him in the rib, then slashed across his thigh, bringing him down to one knee.

_The little bitch is too fast,_ thought the Stabbington, angrily watching as Cassandra swung around and aimed a kick at his skull. He put his arm up to block it, and cried out in pain as her foot slammed into his arm. “Dammit!”

“Language,” Cassandra taunted, kicking upward again and striking him right in the face, knocking him backward. She took out her sword, but before she could point it at him, he parried with his dagger in a desperation move, and continued to slash until he managed to cut across one of Cassandra's fingers. “Nnnngh!”

Cassandra grimaced, holding onto her sword, but just barely. The Stabbington stood up and aimed a fierce blow with his right fist, catching her in the shoulder and causing her to drop the sword, then he lunged forward again and slapped his forearm across her chest, throwing her onto her back. Cassandra recovered quickly and lunged for her sword, but the Stabbington's foot found it first, and he grabbed Cassandra by the throat, lifting her to her feet and squeezing her neck tightly.

“This is for my brother,” said the sideburned man, holding Cassandra's neck in a vicelike grip as she struggled to free herself. “But don't worry... I still need you alive.”

Cassandra grimaced, and tried swinging her arms, but his arms were longer than hers, and she couldn't reach, while her legs were also just out of kicking range. She was trapped, and she knew it... she reached for her dagger, but it too was slapped away, knocked across the clearing by a powerful hand.

“That's enough,” he said, glaring at her. “You put up a good fight, but you're beaten... know when to give up, and maybe we'll go easy on you.”

“You think... I give... a damn... about... your.... useless... threats?” Cassandra managed to choke out, as her hands grabbed the choking arm and tried to pull it off her throat. “I'm not.... scared... of you two... idiots....!”

“Defiant until the end. Let's see if you're still so tough when you wake up.”

Cassandra could once again feel herself slipping away... her arms were useless, as were her legs... she grabbed the Stabbington's arm hard with both hands, but she knew she had no chance of pulling him away from her.

Instead, she pulled down. 

This also failed to get his hand off her neck, but it did give her leverage... leverage that she used as she jumped with both legs up into the air as high as she could, pushing herself up so that her feet were higher than her arms, high enough to kick the Stabbington in the face. She did kick him... once, twice, then a third time... and this third kick was enough to loosen his grip on her neck, which allowed her to finally free herself with her hands. She dropped to the ground and kicked him again, this time in the chest. He stumbled back, stepping off of her sword, and she rolled to grab it, while elbowing him in the gut in the same motion, finally knocking him off his feet. Before he could move, Cassandra's sword was at his throat.

“In the name of the Royal Guard of Corona,” said Cassandra, a taunting smirk on her face, “you are under-”

A hard blow, harder than anything she'd taken so far, slammed into the side of her skull and instantly knocked her unconscious. Behind her stood the eyepatched Stabbington, and though his head was sore, he'd never been knocked out by Cassandra's blow... he'd only pretended to be, so he could get up and strike if Cassandra got the upper hand on his brother.

“Great work,” said the sideburned Stabbington, as his brother helped him to his feet. The two stood over the unconscious Cassandra, admiring their handiwork and readying for the next phase of their plan. “She's no crown, but this is a lot more satisfying.”

O-O-O

It was no fun being chased, and Rapunzel was terrified as she ran through the forest, with several royal guards right behind her. She didn't have time to stop and think about why they were chasing her, all she knew was that she had to run. She called out to Cassandra, and this only seemed to make the guards more aggressive.

“She won't help you! You know what you did!”

“What did I do?!” screamed Rapunzel, gasping as one of the guards lunged at her. She managed to turn down another road, and the guards ran off in another direction, and she allowed herself a moment of relief. _Why won't Cassandra help me? What's going on?!_

Rapunzel stopped for a moment to catch her breath. She looked to see the torches in the distance had stopped moving as well. She took a deep breath, hoping she'd lost her pursuers for good, and still looking for Cassandra, if only to know just what she had to do with the guards chasing her.

_She couldn't have summoned them after me, right? It has to be a mistake....!_

Rapunzel then heard more yelling... and the guards coming back toward her. She gasped again, running back into the trees, and watching in horror as the torches' fire drew closer.

“No!”

Rapunzel then felt a tug on her hair... it had been caught in one of the tree branches. She was stuck... she couldn't go anywhere! The guards were getting closer... her heart was racing...

“There she is!”

“You can't escape, just come quietly!”

“NO!” Rapunzel shrieked again, her mother's words echoing through her mind. _No, no, no! Mother, you were wrong, you were wrong, you were wrong! They'd never use me like that...!_

“Get her!”

Rapunzel screamed and pulled her hair free, but the guards were so close now... she closed her eyes, waiting for them to grab her.

_Please, don't hurt me!_

Rapunzel was grabbed, hard, and pulled back. She struggled, and opened her mouth to scream, but something, a hand, was clamped tightly over it. She screamed anyway. It was muffled, nearly silent. The hand clamped down even tighter.

“Shhhh!”

… _.Mother?!_

Rapunzel looked to see the guards' torches, just outside the large clump of shrubbery she'd been pulled down into. The guards were looking all around, but concealed inside the shrubbery, she was invisible to them... and still absolutely terrified.

“She couldn't have disappeared just like that, find her! We almost had her!”

“You sure she's the one we're after?”

“According to Cassandra she is.”

Rapunzel gasped under the hand still covering her mouth, only to hear a reassuring voice from behind her.

“Shhh, shh, it's all right, mummy's here...”

_Mother...._

“Just be quiet a moment longer until they're gone...”

The guards continued talking as they started to walk away. Rapunzel could hear Cassandra's name a couple more times, but couldn't entirely make out what they were saying as they disappeared completely, even the light from their torches fading away before the hand was finally slipped down from Rapunzel's mouth. Rapunzel stood up, as did the person who grabbed her... Gothel herself, a look of relief on her face.

“Oh, my precious girl...!” said Gothel, who seemed to be nearly in tears as she ran her hands up and down Rapunzel's face. “Are you all right? Are you hurt?”

“Mother, what happened...? Why were those guards after me?”

“I was so worried about you, Rapunzel...” said Gothel, her hands now gently placed on Rapunzel's shoulders. “So I followed you, and I heard those guards talking... talking about you, after that girl, after she-”

“Cassandra?”

“I, I don't know, Rapunzel, I didn't get a good look, but the person was talking with the guards and I heard your name and I just-”

“No...!” Rapunzel cried, turning back toward the forest. “Cassandra would never... she... she would never...”

Rapunzel's mind began racing again... thinking about everything that had happened since she and Cassandra had entered the forest. Rapunzel remembered that it had been her own plan to split up, and that Cassandra was reluctant... had she been planning to lead Rapunzel right to the guards? They'd seen the guards first, but Rapunzel had seen Flynn Rider! Flynn was here... but Cassandra had only seen the guards.

_No, no, I trust her, I trust her, she'd never-_

“Rapunzel, let's hurry, before they come back, quickly!” shouted Gothel, leading Rapunzel away. Rapunzel pulled away from her and ran back toward the forest, looking out for Cassandra but seeing no one.

_Cass... I... I wanted to believe you really did care about me... was it really that easy to betray me?_

She'd given up on catching Flynn Rider so quickly, quicker than Rapunzel imagined she could... and now... now Rapunzel knew why. She turned back toward her mother, whose arms were outstretched, a look of compassion on her face.

And as tears made their way to her eyes, Rapunzel choked out a sob and ran back into Gothel's embrace... her mother's embrace.

“You were right, mother...” Rapunzel sobbed, burying her face in Gothel's shoulder. “You were right about everything...”

“I know, darling...” whispered Gothel, leading Rapunzel back into the forest. “I know.”

O-O-O

Flynn Rider couldn't believe his luck. He'd dodged the guards, he'd dodged an aggressive yet beautiful blonde with long, braided hair, and now he had the crown he'd always dreamed of getting. He emerged from the forest and made his way toward the new rendezvous point, where his partner Lance was waiting.

“Told you it was better to go in by myself,” said Flynn. “They never saw me coming.”

“Ha!” shouted Lance, rubbing his hands together. “So you got the crown?”

“I got the crown,” Flynn said, pulling it out of his satchel. He and Lance let out a victorious cheer, and Flynn even tossed the crown to Lance to let him inspect it.

“To be honest, I almost thought you'd take the crown and ditch me,” replied Lance, admiring the jewels and shiny gold. “I mean, you did ditch the Stabbingtons after all.”

“Yeah, but those guys are jerks, you're my best friend! I mean, I already broke you out of prison today, and you were the perfect distraction for the guards while I slid in there and did my thing!”

“Uh, speaking of guards...” Lance began, pointing out a set of torches coming their way. The two yelped and ducked into a nearby bush, listening to the guards continue to talk as they walked past.

“We lost her,” said one of the guards with a disappointed sigh.

“Her...?” stammered Flynn. “Wait a minute, they're not talking about-”

“I just hope Cassandra's okay, didn't that lady we met say that the blonde one tried to attack her?”

“Yeah, but she wasn't with Cassandra when we caught up to her...”

“Well, Cassandra's a tough one and that girl didn't look very tough, maybe the old lady was overreacting?”

“Ha, maybe she got a little too drunk at the festival today!”

Flynn and Lance looked at each other, realizing at the same time who the guards were talking about, but struggling to put two and two together. As they did, and watched the guards laugh as they walked by, another guard ran up from the direction of the castle.

“Hey, where were you idiots? Flynn Rider came and stole the lost princess' crown!”

“We were just... we heard Cassandra got attacked by some blonde girl, and-”

“Is she fine now?”

“I think so!”

“Then nevermind that, there's an all points bulletin for Flynn Rider and his accomplice Lance Strongbow, let's move!”

Flynn and Lance waited for the guards to disperse before emerging from their hiding spot, laughing amongst themselves.

“Ah, sure does bring you back, doesn't it?” said Lance, playfully elbowing Flynn in the gut before handing him back the crown. “Looks like we're the most wanted fugitives in Corona again.”

“I already was, but hey, two's company right? Anyway, what was all that before, about Cassandra and the blonde? You don't think it was those two that attacked you back at the inn, do you?”

“I bet it was, but why were they fighting?”

“Maybe they were fighting over me,” said Flynn, smirking and posing. “The smolder might've had a delayed effect on them.”

“Ha ha ha, you wish! Besides, I think they're both into me.”

“Well, no time to worry about those girls now, we've got a crown to fence, and...”

The two thieves' conversation was interrupted by the loud whinny of a horse, charging right at them. Lance didn't recognize the horse, but Flynn did, and he let out a loud exclamation of fear as the horse began to chase him.

“This is not my day!” Flynn shouted, fleeing into the forest with Fidella in pursuit. “Lance, head back to the inn, I'll meet you there!”

“Wait, I'll save you!” shouted Lance, running after Fidella as fast as he could... and being outpaced by her in seconds, collapsing and panting hard as he watched the horse disappear into the forest with his friend. “I'll... save... you.... ugggh... good luck, buddy.”

O-O-O

The Stabbingtons sat by the fire, tending to their wounds and looking over to a nearby tree where the unconscious Cassandra sat, tied to the tree and propped up against it with her arms and legs tightly bound with strong rope. They were waiting for her to wake up, and though they didn't expect the old lady they'd been working with to return, they had to thank her for giving them this opportunity.

“You okay, brother?” asked the sideburned Stabbington, watching across the fire as his brother applied some makeshift bandages to one of the wounds Cassandra had given him. “Don't worry, you'll get plenty of opportunity for payback when our friend here opens her eyes.”

The eyepatched Stabbington nodded, and pounded his fist into his hand. His brother smiled understandingly, but shook his head as if to wave him off.

“Actually, I think we'll leave her with the bruises we gave her,” he said, looking back at Cassandra. “'Cuz I just remembered something... we could ransom her off to her dad, but how much money do you think the royals cough up to pay one of their guards, even the captain? Not nearly as much as that crown would've been worth, and even killing her and leaving her for him to find after he pays us wouldn't make it worth it. But tomorrow morning, that special boat comes... you know the one, shows up once a month down at Renegade's Cove?”

The eyepatched Stabbington smiled with recognition, and rubbed his chin with his hand, looking at Cassandra and laughing sadistically.

“Yeah... _that_ boat. And they pay a hell of a lot more than some underpaid, overworked guard captain ever could... especially for feisty girls like this one. Not quite crown money, but enough to keep us comfy for a long time... and imagine the look on the captain's face when we tell him who we sold his daughter to.”

The two Stabbingtons both exchanged a laugh, the thought of the captain's anguish bringing them great satisfaction.

“And speaking of seeing the looks on people's faces... I can't wait to see Cassandra's when we tell her where she's going.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I See The Light" isn't mine, it was written by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater! Only the original Cassandra lyrics are mine!


	6. The Chains Of Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A warning beforehand, this chapter contains some intense content involving threats and attempts of sexual violence.

For the second time in two days, Cassandra awoke to a dull pain in her skull and the sensation of her limbs being tightly bound. She could feel ropes around her wrists and ankles, and many more ropes around her chest, and when she looked down, she could see that there were two sets of ropes: one set binding her arms to her sides, and another binding her body to a thick tree trunk which she'd been placed against. Through the darkness and her hazy vision, she could see the two Stabbington brothers sitting near a campfire... but that wasn't her main concern.

“Rapunzel!” Cassandra cried out, her body beginning to twist in its bindings. “Raps, where are you...?!”

Cassandra's exclamation drew the brothers' attention, and they both walked over to her, the sideburned brother leading the way.

“So, you're awake,” he said, a taunting smile on his face. “Don't even try to get out of that, we made sure even someone as persistent as you couldn't slip out.”

Cassandra's attention finally returned to the situation she was in. She was still incredibly worried about Rapunzel, and hoped that her friend had gotten safely away... but she started to realize that she was the one in the most danger, and as the two Stabbingtons stood over her, she began to understand the gravity of her peril. She continued to test the ropes, but nothing budged, and even if her sword and dagger hadn't been taken from her, she wouldn't have been able to reach them. Her wrists ached from the tightness of the ropes, and her ankles were similarly secured, rendering her completely at her captors' mercy. Despite her growing fear, she gave them a defiant glare, determined not to give them the satisfaction of scaring her.

“Awful lot of trouble you went through just to keep me down,” said Cassandra. “You're both cowards...”

“Thought you might say something like that,” the sideburned Stabbington replied, unfazed by Cassandra's insult. “You and I both know we'd be stupid not to make sure you couldn't move... your dad trained you pretty well, all things considered. I think you might be even tougher than your old man.”

“...this is about him, isn't it?” asked Cassandra. “You kidnapped me because of my dad... because you can't beat him fairly. Even time you pull a scheme or a stunt, he's there. I'm surprised he hasn't hanged you already, but after this, no way you're getting off lightly. When he finds out what you've done, you're both going to swing.”

The Stabbingtons laughed, and Cassandra continued to struggle, angrily lunging forward as much as she could and continuing to taunt them.

“You might be laughing now, but these ropes can't hold me for long... and when I get free, you'll wish my dad had gotten to you first, do you hear me? You're nothing but a couple of big, dumb, smelly, ugly cowards, and I'll make you both pay for your crimes!”

Cassandra was using her fury to mask her fear... she already knew that escaping would be a tall order, and even if she did get free, the Stabbingtons were still more than capable of taking her. She'd managed to almost beat them before, but she was starting to tire, and the more she struggled, the more energy she expended. They were well fed and well rested, and even though they'd taken a beating from her before, they could still dish out as good as they'd gotten. In addition to Cassandra's growing desperation to save herself from whatever the Stabbingtons had planned, she had to find Rapunzel... she cursed herself for splitting off from her in the first place, and the thought of Rapunzel alone in the forest, lost and scared and subjected to who knows what, was enough to send a chill down Cassandra's spine.

_I promised her I'd protect her, and now look at me. I'm glad she's not here tied up with me, but there's still plenty of other things that could happen to her... I have to get free, somehow... I have to find Rapunzel!_

“Do you ever shut up?” said the sideburned Stabbington, starting to get annoyed with Cassandra's insults and threats.

“I don't know, do you ever brush your teeth?” Cassandra replied, continuing to taunt him.

The eyepatched Stabbington stepped forward and reared back his hand to strike Cassandra, who didn't even flinch when it looked like he was going to hit her.

“Go ahead and do it,” said Cassandra, almost daring them to start hurting her. “The Stabbingtons, a couple of dumb cowardly thugs who enjoy hitting women who are tied up and can't defend themselves. That's what your reputation's gonna be.”

The Stabbington lowered his hand and gave a dismissive swat, almost as if to say Cassandra wasn't worth it. His brother stepped forward again, doing his best to try and intimidate Cassandra by looking tough as he stood over her, but she didn't budge, and even taunted him with another smirk.

“I think you're still scared of me,” said Cassandra, looking up at him. “I'm tied to a tree and can't do a thing to hurt you, and you're still scared, probably because you know what I'm capable of when I get free... and I _will_ get free.”

“Have you given any thought to what your dad would think if you ended up dead?” asked the sideburned Stabbington. “If we killed you, and left you for him to find, what would happen?”

“What would happen is that he'd have you both hunted down like the pathetic dogs you are,” replied Cassandra. “Is that what this is about? Revenge? I don't think so. I think you'd like to kill me, but you can't justify it to yourselves to do anything that won't net you a profit.”

“You catch on fast,” he replied, reaching down to stroke Cassandra's face, only for her to angrily turn her head away.

“You're planning to ransom me,” said Cassandra, glaring back up at her captor. “And my dad's not stupid, he won't pay any ransom unless I'm right there at the exchange. If you think you're gonna kill me after, you don't know my dad. He might be a stubborn jerk sometimes, but....”

Cassandra's expression softened for just a moment, and a hint of sadness flashed through her eyes. She started thinking about her father, and how devastated he'd be if anything happened to her, and Cassandra began to feel guilty.

_If something does happen, it'll be all my fault, because I didn't listen to him. I ran away to go after Flynn Rider, and look what's happened... what if they do kill me? Dad, I'm sorry.... I... I'll never get a chance to tell him..._

The Stabbingtons could see the emotional turmoil on Cassandra's face, and like sharks in the water, they pounced. The sideburned Stabbington cupped Cassandra's chin again, squeezing tightly so that she couldn't look away.

“Oh, I'm gonna enjoy seeing the look on your daddy's face when we tell him what we've done to his precious little girl.”

“Don't touch me!” Cassandra shouted furiously, struggling ferociously in her bonds as she once again tried to jerk her head away. “You monsters won't get away with any of this... you don't have any idea what you've done! I'm not gonna let you use me to get to my dad, and if you try anything-”

  
“What are you gonna do?” he asked her, leaning in closer. “You're just a helpless girl, and you can't even get out of those ropes. You're going to sit there until we do what we came here to do, and there's nothing you can do about it.”

Cassandra tried to come up with another taunt in reply, but her mind was flooded with so many emotions... guilt, anger, fear for herself, her father, and Rapunzel... and instead of talking back like she would've done in so many other situations, she decided instead to show her contempt by spitting in the Stabbington's face, right in one of his eyes. He winced in disgust, releasing Cassandra's chin and reaching up to wipe the spit away.

“We should've done this before you even woke up,” he said, turning and walking back toward the campfire. He grabbed a couple of dirty rags from a nearby knapsack, returning to Cassandra and leaning down toward her again. “Time to shut that pretty mouth of yours.”

“Fuck you,” Cassandra said, and she would've spat on him again if her mouth wasn't so dry. As she watched the sideburned Stabbington wad up one of the rags, she knew what was coming next, and shut her mouth up tightly, not wanting that thing to be shoved inside. _He's going to gag me... I should've called out for help before, but what if Rapunzel showed up? ...she's brave and strong and smart, but it would've just put her in more danger... no... no, I have to get out of this on my own... ugh, that thing is going to taste awful....!_

The Stabbington roughly grabbed Cassandra's jaw to try and force her mouth open, and eventually, she opened it just enough for him to begin pushing in the rag. She retched, and began yelling angrily as the rest of it was shoved into her mouth, filling it up completely and leaving only a bit sticking out. Though it was pushing down heavily on her tongue, she tried her best to push the cloth out with it, but before she could, the other rag was tied tightly over it, cleaving her lips and forcing the first rag to stay in. She was right, it tasted terrible... she groaned and growled into the gag and tried her best not to throw up as she felt it all around her tongue. The Stabbingtons both laughed as Cassandra continued to swear and retch, until she could do nothing more but glare harshly at them and breathe fiercely through her nose.

“Just got a lot more peaceful around here, wouldn't you agree?” the sideburned Stabbington asked his brother, who nodded and smirked. Cassandra swore at both of them again, the gag rendering it nothing more than a guttural growl. “Now that you're quiet, I think it's time to share our real plans with you.”

_Real plans?_ thought Cassandra, raising an eyebrow.  _Isn't this about ransoming me off to my dad? Wait, no... you're going to use me to lure him into a trap, aren't you?_

As Cassandra's frightened mind began to race, the sideburned Stabbington continued to speak... about to reveal a fate for her even worse than her worst fears.

“We did plan on ransoming you, and that would've been fun, and made us a nice little payday... might've even killed you during the exchange, just to really get our revenge on the captain.”

_Would've been the last thing you ever did,_ thought Cassandra.  _My dad would have chased you both to the ends of the earth, and when he caught you, you'd have been begging for a simple hanging._

“But then I remembered that there's a ship that comes by every month... a ship dealing in a very special kind of cargo. You ever heard of the gold ship of Renegade's Cove?”

Cassandra hadn't heard of that particular ship, but she'd heard rumors about a ship that visited the outer edges of the kingdom, dealing in unspoken cargo... her father had once led a raiding team to try and find the ship, but had found nothing, and hadn't made another attempt since then. Her wrists continued to jerk inside the ropes, but she'd made no progress in getting free, and was helpless do to anything but listen as her captor continued to share his twisted plans.

“The ship deals in human flesh,” said the Stabbington brother, prompting Cassandra's eyes to go wide. “Men for physical labor, and women for, well... a pretty young thing like you knows exactly what happens to the women who are taken aboard that ship.”

_No,_ thought Cassandra, starting to tremble.  _Not even the Stabbingtons would be that depraved._

“Normally, such a thing would be too cruel even for us, but for the daughter of the man who's made our lives so difficult over the last few years? We'll make a one time exception. Tomorrow morning, we're going to sell you to the people on that boat, and you'll be on the first boat to Taarvassan, headed for the slave markets.”

_You can't!_ screamed Cassandra into her gag, lunging forward as much as the ropes would allow.  _You sick bastards, you can't do this to me!_

“Hey, I think she's actually scared now,” said the sideburned Stabbington, prompting a loud belly laugh from his eyepatched brother. “You brought this on yourself, you know. Running away from home, trying to be all tough... but in the end, you're nothing but a scared little girl, crying for daddy. I think you'll fetch a hefty price, a lot more than he would've paid to get you back.”

Cassandra struggled and screamed with a mix of terror and rage, a tear starting to make its way to her eyes. She no longer cared about not showing any fear in front of her captors, she just wanted to get free... she hadn't heard about the slave ship, but she did know about Taarvassen, and she knew that once someone was brought there in bondage, they never made it back out a free person again. The Stabbingtons continued to taunt her, laughing at her fear and taking great joy in her terrified struggles.

“I'm sure whoever ends up paying for you will have plenty of fun breaking you in. A tough girl like you? Most buyers would see that as a challenge... you'll have lots of fun, I'm sure.”

_How dare you!_

Cassandra's fury returned, boiling to the surface at the mere idea that these fiends would sell her into slavery. She struggled with every ounce of energy she had, and though the ropes binding her wrists and ankles still hadn't budged, she could feel the ropes attaching her to the tree starting to loosen just a little bit. She continued to lunge forward, despite the aching in her chest, and hoped that her continued struggles would loosen the ropes up further... even if she was still tied up, if she could just break loose from the tree, she could try to hop to safety... at this point, it was her only hope to avoid a terrible fate.

And even in all her struggling and worry for her own safety, she never forgot about Rapunzel.

_Raps... I have to get back to you._

O-O-O

As Cassandra fought for her freedom and her life, Rapunzel returned to her tower, cloaked in a veil of sadness at her friend's apparent betrayal. She sat on her bed, allowing her mother to pull the flowers from her freshly unbraided hair, bowing her head as she replayed Cassandra's actions over and over in her mind.

“There, it never happened!” said Gothel, putting on an air of mock sweetness. She got up to leave the room, picking up the bucket of discarded flowers and carrying it with her as she left. “Now, wash up for dinner! I'm making hazelnut soup...”

Rapunzel was still sitting on the side of the bed, her face heavy with grief. Gothel walked back over to her, trying in her own way to cheer Rapunzel up... which meant that she still tried to make her daughter take all the blame for what had happened before.

“I really did try, Rapunzel, I tried to warn you what was out there... the world is dark, and selfish, and cruel. If it finds even the slightest ray of sunshine, it destroys it.”

Then, she left, and Rapunzel was left alone, clutching that purple banner she'd gotten from the festival (which had thankfully dried off from her using it to shush Lance before). She held it up in her hands, looking down at it and continuing to think about what she believed Cassandra had done to her.

_Cass... was that your plan the whole time? You were so dead-set on catching Flynn Rider, but by the time we got to the boats, you'd forgotten all about him. Then you saw those guards, and..._

Rapunzel remembered their time in the boat, which had passed so quickly it was almost like a dream. She and Cassandra had even sang to each other... though it might have just been the exchanging of looks and words and thoughts, she barely remembered the song the two of them had sung together. Whatever happened, she felt a real connection... and she could see that Cassandra felt that connection with her as well.

_Was it all just a lie? Was Cassandra ever my friend?_

Rapunzel's mind raced as she lay in bed, looking at that banner and thinking about Cassandra. Pascal was a comforting presence, resting on her foot and squeaking sweetly to her, and Rapunzel looked at the banner again.

_There's no way Cassandra could've been lying to me that whole time. Everything she said to me, it all seemed so real... she did mention how the royal army could use my hair, but she was so sorry about it afterwards, surely she felt bad about scaring me! ...but she was desperate to be considered a hero... desperate to join the guard... maybe she hadn't intended to betray me, but then decided later that she would? And if that's the case, maybe she feels bad about it now? What if she does, should I forgive her?_

Rapunzel looked all around the room, at all the pictures she'd ever drawn. Something seemed different about them... she looked down at the banner again, and the yellow symbol of the sun emblazoned on it... then back up at her paintings. That same symbol, or at least the shape of that symbol... it was so familiar... it was in almost every painting she'd ever drawn!

_Why do I remember this symbol so much? How could I have drawn it so much without knowing... unless I... unless I'd seen it somewhere before!_

Then she thought back to the painting she'd seen in the town... the king, and queen... and the lost princess.

Rapunzel stood up from her bed, looking all around the room. The sun was everywhere. That symbol... was embedded in her mind from the moment she'd first seen it.

_On the ceiling of my room... in the palace!_

Rapunzel didn't have the crown, but she didn't need it to know.

_I'm the lost princess!_

She emerged from her bedroom, still gasping in shock, as Mother Gothel stood at the stairwell nearby.

“Are you all right?” Gothel asked her.

“I'm the lost princess...” Rapunzel muttered quietly.

“Ugh, please speak up, Rapunzel, you know how I hate the mumbling.”

“I am the lost princess!” shouted Rapunzel, glaring fiercely at Gothel. “Aren't I?”

Rapunzel could tell from the horrified look on her mother's face that she was exactly right... she _was_ the lost princess, the one who'd been stolen from her parents as a baby... stolen by Gothel, who was now scrambling for an explanation.

“Did I mumble, mother?” asked Rapunzel, her face resolute with determination. “Or should I even call you that?”

Gothel had to act fact, lest she lose everything she'd worked for, the lie she'd spent eighteen years trying to cover up. She laughed, attempting to blow everything off and once again convince Rapunzel that she was wrong and that her mother was right.

“Oh, Rapunzel, do you even hear yourself? Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?”

“It was you!” shouted Rapunzel, shoving her way past Gothel. “It was _all you_!”

Gothel's face grew stern. The jig was up, there was no putting the cat back into the bag now. She'd failed to convince Rapunzel of the lie, now she had to twist the truth.

“Everything I did was to protect you.”

Rapunzel angrily shoved past Gothel again, storming down the stairs. Eighteen years of being lied to, eighteen years of being trapped, being told the world was a terrible place, all of it was a lie, and now she was still trying to lie to her? Now she knew why Cassandra was so upset... and she imagined that if she'd been Cassandra, she'd have already punched Gothel in the face.

“I spent my _entire life_ hiding from people who'd use me for my power...”

“Rapunzel!” shouted Gothel sharply, trying and failing to intimidate the determined princess.

“When I should have been hiding... from you!”

“Where will you go?” asked Gothel.

“Cassandra,” replied Rapunzel immediately. “I'll find her and I'll live with her... at the palace, with my real family!”

“She won't be there for you,” replied Gothel. “And if you go back to the palace, they'll still use you, only they won't take care of you like I did... they'll keep you locked in the dungeon, never to see the light of day.”

“My _real_ parents would never do that to me... and even if they did, Cassandra would never let them!”

“She can't even stand up to her own father, and I imagine he's already sent her away for defying him.”

“You're wrong,” said Rapunzel. “I am going back to the palace where I _know_ there are people who would never hurt me. My real father, and my real mother... and Cassandra!”

“Now now, just stay with me, where it's safe...” Gothel started to lower her hand to stroke Rapunzel's hair, only for Rapunzel to reach out and grab her by the wrist. “....!”

“No!” Rapunzel said sharply. “You were wrong about the world, and you were wrong about me! And I will _never_ let you use my hair again!”

Gothel finally managed to pull herself away from Rapunzel's grip, stumbling into a nearby mirror and causing it to fall and shatter into pieces. As she watched, helpless to stop her, Rapunzel turned and began walking away, on her way out of the tower. Gothel's desperation turned to rage, and she began walking toward Rapunzel, picking up a large pot nearby.

“You want me to be the bad guy? Fine... now I'm the bad guy.”

She crept up behind Rapunzel, bringing the pot down hard on the back of her head. Rapunzel gasped and collapsed unconscious to the floor... and Gothel began to fetch several lengths of chain that she kept in a nearby chest.

O-O-O

After leaving Cassandra gagged and tied to the tree, the Stabbingtons hadn't done much more taunting. They mostly sat by their campfire, occasionally looking over to watch Cassandra's increasingly desperate struggles, but mostly snacking on their provisions and getting ready to take a short nap before making the trip out to Renegade's Cove in the morning.

Cassandra hadn't bothered wasting her breath or energy on any more threats... the gag kept her mostly silent even if she tried yelling at the top of her lungs, and she had to save her strength as well. She could feel the rope pinning her to the tree continue to loosen up, but she still had a ways to go as she silently fought against it, thinking of Rapunzel the entire time.

_Is she even looking for me? ...of course she is, she'd never give up on anything, least of all me._

Cassandra bowed her head, fighting back more tears. She couldn't help but think that all of this, everything that had happened to her and to Rapunzel, was her fault. She'd agreed to split up, but even before that, she dragged a girl who'd never even been out of her tower before on a wild chase after a wanted criminal. Sure, Rapunzel had turned out to be far more capable than Cassandra had thought, but even so, she still needed guidance, and now she was alone... and Cassandra was alone as well.

_No one even knows I'm here. Dad sure doesn't, and won't find out until I'm already sold. Fidella is back at the palace with dad, and Rapunzel... even if she is looking for me, she'll never find me in these woods, not even if I could yell out to her... which I can't._

The cloth in her mouth still tasted bitter and coarse, but Cassandra's tongue had grown mostly numb to it, which was a good thing, as it kept her from choking. She looked up at the Stabbingtons, and could see the eyepatched one getting up to go lean on a nearby rock.

_Even they have to sleep sometime... but one's probably going to stay up to keep watch. Still, if I'm quiet, I can slip free...it's my only chance._

Cassandra kept at it with her struggles, and the rope securing her to the tree started to slide up her chest, toward her shoulders. She pushed and squirmed against it, and it slid up more. She felt a bead of sweat trickle down her face, and the cool night breeze made her shiver.

_Raps, if you're here in the forest, I'll find you. Wherever you are, I'll find you._

Cassandra remembered the boat trip as well... every smile on Rapunzel's lips, every sparkle in her eyes, and every word they sang together. She didn't know where the words had come from, she'd never felt anything so strongly in her life before she met Rapunzel. She never imagined she could fall so quickly for some naïve girl fresh out of a tower, but Rapunzel's kindness, intelligence, and determination had won Cassandra over, and now, she knew that her destiny wasn't just to become a member of the royal guard and go on adventures... it was to do those things with Rapunzel by her side, for better or worse.

_I won't let them sell me into slavery. I'd rather die. I won't stop fighting...!_

Cassandra felt the rope slide past her shoulders and up to her neck, and knew that getting it over her head would be the hardest part, but with the slack she'd already earned, it would at least be possible. She pushed her neck against the rope, choking herself but loosening it further, biting down hard on her gag as the rope squeezed against her flesh. She pushed as hard as she could, trying to loosen the rope against the back of the tree so that she could slacken it up from the front, and after a short period of struggling, she was able to push it up and over her chin. She thought about using it to push away the cloth keeping her gag in, but it was tied securely between her teeth, cutting into the sides of her face far too much to be pushed up or down, and she merely settled for sliding the rope around her head with one final strained motion, rubbing the skin from the tip of her nose as it pushed past. Finally, the rope came off the top of her head, and she was free... from the tree at least. There were still ropes tied around Cassandra's chest, wrists, and ankles, but she didn't care... now she could move, and move she would, as she began to squirm into the forest, praying the Stabbingtons hadn't noticed. When she dared to look back, the eyepatched Stabbington was already dozing, and the sideburned Stabbington had his head slumped downward.

_Idiots,_ she allowed herself to silently taunt, as she crawled on the dirty ground toward what she desperately hoped was safety, not daring to make a single grunt as she went.  _Just need to find something sharp to cut my bonds, and then I can get back to Rapunzel..._

Only the thought of Rapunzel kept Cassandra's heart from exploding with fear as she continued to squirm along. She ignored the pain that rippled through her knees as she ground them into the grass and dirt, and ignored the pain in her wrists from the continued squeezing of the ropes. She just kept going, as hard and as far as she could go, making only a few feet of progress at a time, but already putting distance between herself and the camp.

_Got to hurry, got to get free, got to get to Rapunzel...!_

Cassandra kept crawling, looking back and seeing the campfire starting to fade in the distance, and breathing a quick sigh of relief through her nose.

That relief was short-lived. Suddenly, she was grabbed by the ankles and dragged backward, and when she looked up again, she could see both Stabbingtons standing over her.

“What do we have here?” said the sideburned Stabbington, as Cassandra now lay on her back, her eyes wide with terror. “Trying to get away? You really are hard to break.”

_No!_ Cassandra screamed through her gag, before aiming a strong kick with her bound feet that struck the Stabbington in the knee. He grunted and winced, doubling over a bit, and she kicked up at him again, striking nothing but air this time.

“That's enough,” he said, as his eyepatched brother leaned down to pick her up.

_No! I'm not going back!_

Cassandra kicked up again, striking him in the face as he bent over, and as he continued to advance on her, she swept her legs to the side, knocking him off his feet and to the ground. Then, she started to squirm again, desperate to escape. She wriggled to her feet, taking a single hop before being suddenly tackled by one of them, forcing the wind out of her.

“I said that's enough!”

Cassandra looked at him and swore again, struggling with everything she had to get free as he tried to pick her up. When she was lifted off the ground, she slammed herself into him, trying to aim her elbows at his chest and catching one of his ribs. He groaned, and she struggled again, her head swinging up at him.

“Stop, or I'll make you stop!”

Cassandra screamed again, an animalistic, desperate cry, as she somehow forced herself out of his grasp, falling to the ground hard on her shoulder. She looked up at him as if to say that she'd rather die than be taken anywhere, and when he leaned down to pick her up, she kicked at him again. He grabbed her by the legs and began dragging her back toward the campsite, and as Cassandra was dragged, screaming into her gag at the top of her lungs, she felt a large rock, about the size of a fist, below her body. She grabbed it tightly in her hands, waiting until she was nearly back to camp and clutching it like a lifeline.

“All right, since you've shown us that you can't behave, it's time to get you really secure,” said the sideburned Stabbington, hoisting Cassandra to her feet. “Maybe we'll break your legs to make sure you can't pull another stunt like that again.”

As he leaned in, his face near her hands, she clobbered him with the rock as hard as she could. It didn't knock him out, but his loud cry of pain indicated that she'd probably broken his nose, and as soon as he fell, she dropped the rock and began hopping as fast as she could back toward the forest. She didn't know how she was going to get away, but she knew she had to move as fast as possible... and as she hopped, she cried out, calling for anyone who might be within earshot.

_HELP! HELP ME!_ Cassandra screamed. The stifling gag muted the sound significantly, but it was still loud enough to be heard for some distance. She cried out again, only to once again be tackled to the ground, this time by the eyepatched Stabbington.  _NO!_

She hit the ground hard, and though she struggled furiously, her captor was too big and heavy, and she wasn't able to get away. She felt herself being picked up and put over the Stabbington's shoulder, and she continued to scream, as futile as it was, all the way back to the camp. She could see the damage her rock had inflicted on the sideburned Stabbington's face, and he looked as if he'd had enough of Cassandra's fighting.

“Set her down,” he said roughly. “We'll teach her a lesson.”

O-O-O

Flynn Rider screamed as he ran through the dark forest, somehow managing to stay just ahead of Fidella, though the horse was gaining rapidly. His legs and lungs burned, and he knew he needed to find a quick hiding place, or he'd surely be captured.

He didn't have any time left to think. Something tripped him up, and he hit the ground hard. He looked up and saw Fidella just feet away, running straight at him.

“Noooooooooooo!” he screamed, putting his hands up to his face... but instead of being grabbed, or trampled, nothing happened. The horse had jumped right over him, and continued into the forest, soon disappearing from sight. Flynn, unable to believe his latest spot of luck, stood up and brushed himself off. “I'm... still alive! ….what's this?”

Flynn looked down and picked up the object that had tripped him up... a frying pan. It looked to be the same frying pan that Rapunzel had threatened him with earlier.

“Guess Blondie must've dropped it when those guards showed up... but speaking of guards, who's that horse chasing?”

Flynn looked in the direction Fidella had run, wondering why the horse hadn't taken him when he still had possession of the stolen crown. He started to turn back in the direction he'd come, but he was curious about just where that horse was going.

_Is it chasing after that girl with the hair? Or maybe..._

The horse belonged to Cassandra... the girl who Rapunzel had been traveling with, the girl who'd chased him off a cliff the previous morning. Cassandra's the one the horse had to be chasing after, but why? Was she in trouble?

“Well, it's really none of my business,” said Flynn, turning back again. “I've got to get back to the inn, can't keep Lance waiting.”

But as he walked, Flynn couldn't help but think of that girl and her horse... and just why the horse was in such a hurry to find her. He looked back again, hearing the horse's loud whinny, almost a whinny of desperation. He turned back toward the main road... pulling the missing crown from his satchel and looking at it closely.

_She'll be fine,_ Flynn thought to herself, putting the crown back in its satchel and starting off toward the road back to the inn.  _I've got a dream, after all._

O-O-O

Cassandra grunted loudly as she was slammed back down against the tree she'd been tied to. As she looked up at her captors, the sideburned Stabbington reared back and swung his fist into her face, punching her in the cheek. The cloth tied around it softened the blow somewhat, but she still had a severe bruise, and her vision went hazy for a moment from the impact.

“That's for busting my nose, bitch,” said the Stabbington, who then reached down and grabbed Cassandra by the collar. “And there's more where that came from.”

Cassandra screamed another swear through her gag, and then resumed her furious struggles, ranting and shouting and threatening the Stabbingtons with everything she could think of.

“Scream all you want, it doesn't matter. In the morning, you're going to be sold to the slavers on that boat, and you're going to Taarvassen to be bought by some rich old man, and you're going to spend the rest of your life being his personal toy.”

_I'll kill whoever buys me, I'll never let anyone do that to me!_ Cassandra shouted in defiance, resolving to die rather than be broken by whatever twisted pervert was unlucky enough to buy her. In doing so, however, she realized that she had already resigned to the fact that she was going to be put on that boat and sold, and there was nothing she could do about it... and even in her rage, she felt more tears coming. She tried to blink them back, but failed to do so, and lashed out in frustration, pushing against the tree and lunging forward at the Stabbingtons.  _LET ME GO YOU BASTARDS!!!_

They shoved her back hard against the tree, and as the eyepatched Stabbington held her down, the sideburned Stabbington watched Cassandra struggle with sadistic satisfaction. Seeing her there, struggling futilely and screaming into that gag, he was starting to feel a different kind of sadism... and it had been a long time since either of the Stabbingtons had felt a woman's touch.

“You know what?” he said, leaning down to get a closer look at her, before reaching to place his hand on her shoulder. “You might be a stubborn, violent, overly aggressive little brat, but you're not half bad looking either...”

He exchanged a look with his brother, who smiled and nodded, and the two Stabbingtons both began to hold Cassandra down, as she realized with increasing terror what they planned to do to her.

_No... NO! This isn't happening, I can't let them do this to me!_

She struggled even harder, but they continued to hold her down... and the sideburned Stabbington's hand started to reach down, toward Cassandra's waist. Her eyes grew wider, and her struggles lessened as she froze up, tensing in extreme fear and looking back up at him.

“That's what I like to see,” he said. “Might as well sample the goods before we sell you off tomorrow... it'd be a shame to let a chance like this go to waste.”

Cassandra tried one last time to muster enough courage to defy her captors, and was able to get a few more swears and struggles out as she felt the man's hand reaching down toward the top of her leggings. She could feel her energy being expended quickly, and barely had the strength left to fight back... but she wasn't about to let them do what they wanted without a fight. As she closed her eyes and began trying to take her mind off what was about to happen, she could hear a loud neighing nearby.

_...Fidella!_

The Stabbingtons stopped and looked up, and suddenly, out of the forest, Cassandra's horse came charging. The sideburned Stabbington was headbutted, knocking him several feet back, and Fidella stood over him, eyes blazing with anger.

_Fidella!_ Cassandra cried through her gag, ignoring the fact that the other Stabbington was going for a set of ropes nearby.  _Hurry, get me loose!_

The horse's attention was diverted from Cassandra, and that was all the eyepatched Stabbington needed to loop a lasso around Fidella's neck and tug hard. The horse whinnied as she started to be brought down, while the sideburned Stabbington picked himself up from the ground and went for another rope. Cassandra cried out in horror, and Fidella began to kick, but couldn't keep the rope from being pulled even tighter. As the horse brought its legs down and tried to kick again, another rope was suddenly looped around one of its legs, and it fell to the ground hard with a pained gasp.

_NO!_ Cassandra cried out, thrashing against the tree as she watched her horse kick and neigh in desperation. The sideburned Stabbington grabbed a dagger and walked back over to Fidella as Cassandra watched helplessly.  _Please, don't!_

“I don't know where the hell this horse came from, but I know where it's going,” said the sideburned Stabbington, raising the dagger above Fidella's head. “Straight to the glue factory.”

Fidella desperately struggled, but with the wind knocked out of her by her fall, and with the ropes being held tightly by the eyepatched Stabbington brother, she couldn't get back to her feet in time. Her eyes met Cassandra's, whose own eyes were filled with tears that were now streaking down both sides of her face. Cassandra screamed again, and begged the Stabbingtons not to kill her horse, screaming to them that she'd do anything they wanted... but to no avail.

“You really do love this horse,” said the sideburned Stabbington, pausing for a moment to smirk at Cassandra. “Guess you've only got yourself to blame for what happens, then.”

Cassandra's heart sank, and she sobbed openly, bowing her head and closing her eyes and preparing to hear Fidella's final cries. Fidella let out a terrified neigh, and the knife was brought down.

_CLANG!_

The sideburned Stabbington let out a grunt and fell to the ground, his knife hitting the dirt harmlessly next to Fidella's head. The eyepatched Stabbington turned and looked up, and for a brief moment saw his assailant before he too was clubbed unconscious.

_CLANG!_

Cassandra looked up, hearing those two clangs and two people hitting the ground, and expecting her savior to be...

_Rapunzel?_ she exclaimed through her gag, before seeing the last person she ever expected to see in the campfire's light.  _...no way._

“Oh, mama!” shouted Flynn Rider, twirling the frying pan around with a satisfied smirk. “I have got to get me one of these!”

He then heard Fidella attempting to scramble back to her feet, and as he helped the horse up off the ground, he looked and saw Cassandra, staring at him with a look of astonishment on her face.

“So that's why your horse was running so fast,” said Flynn, walking over to Cassandra and kneeling down beside her. He could tell from her tear-stained face and the bruise on her cheek that she'd been through a lot, and so despite everything she'd put him through, he didn't delay freeing her, untying the gag from around her head and then pulling out the wad of cloth that had been stuffed inside her mouth. “Are you okay?”

“...what the hell are you doing here?” Cassandra choked out, her voice hoarse from all the screaming she'd been doing.

“Wow, and I just saved your life, too,” said Flynn, comfortable enough to taunt Cassandra after seeing that she still had the wits about her to be annoyed with him.

“I mean it,” she continued, as he began untying the ropes from around her chest next. “How did you get here, why did you save me, and...”

Fidella's neigh drew Cassandra's attention. She looked up to see her horse standing over the unconscious Stabbingtons, shaking but mostly unharmed. She wanted to go over and embrace Fidella with all her might... she wanted to hug someone, anyone right now... anyone in the world except Flynn Rider, at least. She was deeply shaken by what had happened to her, and despite her desire to wring Flynn Rider's neck, she was also incredibly happy to see him... he'd saved both her life and the life of her best friend, and she was certainly grateful, despite any other feelings or grievances she had toward him.

“Fidella,” whispered Cassandra, as Flynn finally finished undoing her chest ropes and moved to untie the ropes from her wrists. “...did you follow her here?”

“Yeah,” Flynn replied, quickly undoing Cassandra's wrist bonds. As soon as she was untied, she began rubbing her wrists, and as she did so, he set about undoing the ropes around her ankles next. She was still shaking slightly, and he noticed that she winced at his touch a bit, even though he showed no intention of harming her. “...are you sure you're okay?”

“What do you care?” asked Cassandra, looking away from him. _I still need to find Rapunzel. I still need to catch Flynn Rider, and he's right here!_

Did she even dare apprehending him, after he'd saved her life? She looked at him again, could see the genuine concern on his face, and sighed as she bowed her head.

“...I'm fine,” she finally conceded, and stood up after her legs were free. “...thanks.”

“You're welcome,” replied Flynn, standing up as well and walking over with Cassandra to check on Fidella. “What were you doing out here?”

“Chasing after you, why else would I be here?” asked Cassandra. She then turned toward Fidella, and wrapped her arms around her horse's neck in a tight, tearful embrace. She rubbed her face into her soft mane, and sobbed quietly, hoping Flynn wouldn't see or hear. “Thank you, Fidella... you saved me too, I'm so sorry you had to go through all that... all of this is my fault, I shouldn't have even come out here... if it hadn't been for you...”

Fidella neighed sweetly and returned Cassandra's nuzzling, as Flynn quickly made sure to secure the unconscious Stabbingtons with ropes so they couldn't escape. By the time Cassandra and Fidella had finished their hug, the Stabbingtons were tied up and Flynn was resting by the campfire, his legs still sore from his earlier flight. In the satchel at his side was the stolen crown of the lost princess, and Cassandra's eyes were fixed on it as she walked over and sat down across from the thief at the campfire.

“You know I can't let you leave with that,” said Cassandra. She seemed to have recovered from what had happened, and she was no longer trembling, though the way she sat, with her knees up and her arms around them, showed that she was clearly still reeling from her close call, and that it would take her a little while to recover, even if she was determined to go looking for Rapunzel.

“I figured you would, all things considered,” replied Flynn. “...guess I can't ask you for anything in exchange for saving you from all that though.”

Flynn could see that Cassandra had been through hell, and as upset as he was with her for before, he couldn't muster up much anger with her now. No one deserved to be put through that kind of ordeal, least of all someone who, for all her stubbornness, was just trying to do the right thing. Rapunzel had said it before... he was a thief, and stealing hurt people, as much as he tried to lie to himself and say it didn't. His heart went out to Cassandra, and he wished there was more he could do to comfort her.

“I still don't know why you did it,” said Cassandra. “You didn't have to follow Fidella, you didn't have to risk your life for me, someone who's been chasing you around Corona for the last two days... why did you do it?”

“...because it was the right thing to do?”

“That's not good enough,” said Cassandra, standing up and walking over to Flynn, her tone becoming more and more demanding. “You could've taken that crown you stole and run, and yet you came back here to save me.”

“Your horse chased me into the forest! At least, I thought it did before it ran past me to go after you!”

“Then why did _you_ go after her? Answer me, Rider, I want to know! You've never done the right thing in your life, why start now?”

Cassandra was now leaning over Flynn, staring him right in the face, her fists clenched, all that pent up aggression from being trapped and taunted by the Stabbingtons now boiling over into fury. Flynn backed off, but knew he had no way to avoid telling Cassandra the truth... but the truth was, he barely even knew why he came back himself. Before that night, he wouldn't have, but something Rapunzel said to him before had stuck with him, and when she'd started to bring up that book, Flynn had started to remember why he even started doing what he did in the first place. As Cassandra continued to glare at him, demanding answers, Flynn finally relented, even though he knew that after he did, his life might never be the same again.

“Okay, guess I'll start from the beginning,” said Flynn.

“I don't have that kind of time, Rapunzel still needs me.”

“Then why'd you ask for my backstory? Okay, look, I'll give you the short and sweet version. First... my real name...”

He sighed deeply, thinking that it was probably a mistake to give Cassandra his real name, but knowing it might be the only thing to get her to leave him alone.

“...my real name's not Flynn Rider, it's Eugene Fitzherbert.”

Cassandra immediately snickered, then began to laugh. She sat down on the log next to Flynn, clutching her chest and continuing to laugh as he glared at her.

“What's wrong with that name?”

“It's hilarious, that's what's wrong with it,” replied Cassandra. “All this time, the most wanted thief in Corona was going around with a name like Eugene Fitzherbert? No wonder you changed it, gods... your reputation would be destroyed! You'd be the laughing stock of Corona!”

“And you can't tell anyone, okay? I saved your life, at least give me that, don't tell my real name to anyone!”

“...all right, fine,” said Cassandra, still smirking after she stopped laughing. “Now we're even. So what's your stupid name have to do with you saving me?”

“Well... since you're in a hurry, I'll spare you the sob story of poor orphan Eugene Fitzherbert, it's a little bit of a downer.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes, hoping the thief wouldn't say anything to make her feel sorry for him... she already had a bit of a soft spot toward him for saving her life, she didn't need another reason to think of him as anything but a wanted criminal.

“There was this book, a book I used to read every night to all the younger kids... _The Tales Of Flynnigan Rider,_ swashbuckling rogue, richest man alive, not bad with the ladies, either...”

Cassandra rolled her eyes again, but there was a small flash of understanding in them, and she even imagined herself in this Flynnigan Rider's shoes for the briefest of moments.

“Was he a hero, or just a criminal?”

“He was a hero... he had enough money to do anything he wanted to do and go anywhere he wanted to go... for a kid with nothing, like me, he was.. someone to look up to, you know?”

“And yet, you became a thief.”

“I thought... I thought once I'd stolen enough, gotten enough money, I could stop, and I could become a hero like him... that's the thing, he could've retired to some island and sat on his riches, but he still went out on adventures, helping people out, getting people out of jams... so... once I had enough money, I thought I could go back and help the other kids at the orphanage, and then maybe help everyone. And when I saw your horse run back into the forest, and realized that you might be in trouble, I just... something came over me, and I thought about one of the Flynnigan Rider stories where he went back to help the villain who had been trying to catch him the whole book. Flynnigan could have left him twisting in the wind, and could've gone back to his life of riches and glory... but he went back, because it was the right thing to do. I just... I wanted to make sure you were okay. I don't know why I did it, I guess I just wanted to be like the real Flynnigan Rider... for once in my life.”

Flynn bowed his head, and Cassandra saw the sadness in his eyes, of dreams unfulfilled, of a life that went down the wrong path... and saw in him the same things she'd gone through with her own life. Even though he was a criminal, and she was trying to become a member of the royal guard, they'd both endured much of the same struggles, and his desire to do good and help people was genuine, even if he'd made a lot of bad choices.

And despite her own nervousness at feeling someone's touch at the moment, she reached over and placed her hand on his, looking into his eyes with an expression of genuine gratitude.

“Thank you, Eugene,” Cassandra said again, this time meaning it from the bottom of her heart.

Fidella whinnied, thanking Flynn as well by nuzzling her nose against his face. Flynn smiled and patted Fidella's head before looking back at Cassandra, whose brow continued to be heavy with worry.

“It's Rapunzel, isn't it?” asked Flynn.

“Yeah,” Cassandra replied. “I don't know what's happened to her, I think she might've gone back home.”

“...you know, I talked to her before,” said Flynn. Cassandra's eyes went wide, and she leaned forward, desperate to know more.

“You talked to her? When?”

“Earlier in the forest, I think she was looking for you.”

_Rapunzel... she was trying to find me! She found Flynn Rider, she was trying to catch him for me! All she was thinking about was keeping her promise, I have to find her and tell her she doesn't have to worry about that anymore!_

“Eugene, what happened to her?”

“I don't know, we were talking, and suddenly some guards showed up, and she went one way, and I went the other... the thing is, those guards weren't chasing after me, they were chasing after her.”

“What? Why?!”

“Lance and I heard them talking later, someone must've told them she attacked you-”

“Those _idiots_!” shouted Cassandra, looking up at Fidella. “Fidella, we've got to go find her, I'm sure she went back to her tower... she probably thinks I betrayed her!”

“I don't think so,” replied Flynn. “She... she really cares about you, she was really determined to catch me... I'm pretty sure she would've hauled me back to you in chains if those guards hadn't shown up.”

Cassandra smiled with recognition.

_That's Raps, all right..._

“...she's still worried about her mother, though... I'm still going back to the tower, she has to still be there.”

Cassandra stood up, and Flynn did as well... but when he reached into his satchel to check for his crown, it was gone.

“My crown...!”

“Excuse me, _your_ crown?” said Cassandra, holding it up.

“How'd you-”

“Snatched it out of your bag when you were telling me that sob story,” said Cassandra.

“Oh, come on! You didn't believe me!”

“I believe you, but this crown belongs to the lost princess, and I'm not letting you take it.”

Flynn sighed, and couldn't help but smile... Cassandra had outsmarted him, and he'd be going away empty-handed, but despite all of that, he was actually still glad about the decision he'd made. He looked over at the Stabbingtons, still securely tied to that tree. They'd likely be waking up soon, and Cassandra shivered a bit when she too looked over at them.

“Hey, it's all right... I'll make sure they get what's coming to them,” said Flynn.

“What, you're gonna kill them?” asked Cassandra, tempted to pick up that rock nearby on the ground and do it herself.

“No, but when I get back to town, I'll make sure the guards come back and arrest them. It goes against the thieves' code to turn another thief in, but they don't deserve the code's protection after what I'm sure they tried to pull. ...they didn't.... did they?”

“They were going to,” said Cassandra bitterly, turning her head so Flynn wouldn't see her shed another tear. “And then they were going to sell me to slavers...”

“I'm sorry,” said Flynn. He backed away from Cassandra, knowing she probably didn't want to be touched... only for Cassandra to suddenly lean forward and wrap her arms around him, hugging him tightly and even allowing him to reciprocate by placing his arms around her as well. “Cassandra, if you want to use that rock and... finish them off, I won't stop you.”

“...no,” said Cassandra, parting from the hug and trying her best not to let herself be tempted into doing it. “I'm not even going to tell my dad what they tried to do. I... don't think Rapunzel would want me to.”

“You know... I think Rapunzel made me realize a lot of things too,” said Flynn. “When I saw that look of relief on your face after I saved you, it was the first time I'd felt satisfied about anything I'd done in a long time. Stealing the crown, all the other treasures I've snatched... helping you out of that jam was the best I've felt in a while, and it's something I'm going to spend a lot of time thinking about.”

“...that's nice, but I'm still not giving you this crown back.”

“Oh, I know.”

“ _But_ , since you did save my life, and my horse's life, I'm giving you a ten second head start,” said Cassandra with a smirk.

“Ten seconds? Oh, come on!”

“Nine... eight... seven.”

Flynn let out a sigh before turning and running off into the forest, back toward the main road and the inn, where he'd have to explain to Lance how he managed to lose the crown they'd worked so hard to get... but still couldn't keep the smile off his face as he ran. He'd just done the first truly heroic deed of his life, and it had been a long time since he'd felt so good... he just hoped Cassandra and Rapunzel would be all right.

And as Cassandra watched Flynn Rider... or, rather, Eugene Fitzherbert run off into that forest, she was smiling as well. She'd lost her chance to catch him, yet again... but she'd learned that he wasn't as bad a guy as she thought he was, and that took some of the sting out of letting him slip through her fingers. She gave Fidella a knowing look, then stood up and took a look around the campsite, finding her discarded dagger nearby and sheathing it. She then found her sword... broken into two pieces, useless in a fight.

“Dammit,” cursed Cassandra. She sighed, and turned to Fidella. Hopefully, she wouldn't even need her dagger. “Come on Fidella, let's go get Raps and go home.”

Fidella neighed, and Cassandra climbed onto her back, and the horse rode off into the rising sun... toward the tower, and toward her destiny.

Riding straight to the tower without stopping, it took a relatively short time for Cassandra and her horse to reach it, and Cassandra got off, looking up to see the tower's window looming above. The sky was cloudy overhead, and the air was thick with dread... something wasn't right here, and Cassandra felt uneasy, but she hoped that she'd find Rapunzel safe and sound and the two would be able to leave together. She then realized that without her sword, it'd be a lot harder to climb the tower.

_I'll need help getting up,_ thought Cassandra. She looked up, and called out, hoping Rapunzel was waiting for her. “Rapunzel!”

Almost immediately after calling, Cassandra saw Rapunzel's long hair fall out the window beside her. She looked up, and though she couldn't see the girl, she knew she was in there, waiting for her. She quickly grabbed it and climbed up, her heart pounding with anticipation.

_I just hope she hasn't been tricked into thinking I tried to hurt her,_ thought Cassandra, nervously climbing up to the window.  _I hope she knows how I really feel about her... and I hope she agrees to come back with me._

Cassandra reached the window, and began climbing through it, sighing in relief and exhaustion.

“Raps, I'm sorry I didn't come back, but I-”

Then, Cassandra saw her. Rapunzel, kneeling against a wooden post in the corner of the room, her wrists shackled behind her back. A white cloth was tied tightly over her mouth, muffling her cries of fear.

_Cassandra!_ Rapunzel screamed through her gag. 

A million thoughts flooded Cassandra's mind. Anger that someone had done this to Rapunzel. Terror that Rapunzel was in danger. Sadness that Rapunzel had been placed in such a terrifying situation, so similar to the one she herself had just narrowly escaped from.

But as Cassandra's heart propelled her forward, her brain stopped her in her tracks.

_Chained in plain sight. Gagged, to silence a warning cry._

Cassandra's training echoed through her mind.

_This is an obvious trap._

Cassandra's instinct turned her body around in a split second to face the threat behind her. In that same instant, she pulled her dagger from its sheath, pointing it at the throat of the first living thing she saw.

“Let her go!”

Gothel had no time to react as Cassandra whipped around and pushed a dagger into her throat, forcing her back into the nearby wall. Her arms were above her head, but she had a smile on her face... a nervous smile, but a smile nonetheless.

“Cassandra, my dear... is that any way to greet your mother?”


	7. Mother

_One decision, one moment, one step can change the course of a person's destiny._

_As Cassandra walked the halls of Corona's royal palace, she believed her destiny was set in stone. She'd keep training as hard as she could until she became a member of the royal guard, then, someday, she'd become captain, like her father. Then she'd become a hero... protecting those who couldn't protect themselves._

_Her father was stubborn, and refused to allow her to join the royal guard, but she'd break him down eventually, and in the meantime, she'd show him just how capable she was by performing patrols and pointing out others' mistakes. Whenever she saw a guard slouching, she'd correct his posture. Whenever a guard wasn't holding their weapon correctly, she'd teach them proper weapon discipline._

_She walked to the end of the hallway, and had to turn a corner. One path led left, to the room where the crown was kept. There were plenty of guards in there, and standing at attention all day made them tired and vulnerable to slouching. One path led right, to the palace kitchen. Cassandra was getting hungry, a quick snack might do her some good._

_One step can change the course of a person's destiny._

_Cassandra turned left._

_And the world somehow shifted._

O-O-O

Forty-eight hours later, Cassandra was holding a knife to the person who'd given birth to her... a woman named Gothel, who had spent the last eighteen years raising a completely different girl... a girl who was now chained and gagged in the corner of the room, eyes wide with terror as she watched the woman she loved confront the woman who stole her away.

“You're lying!” Cassandra spat, her voice seething with rage. “You're _not_ my mother! Let Rapunzel go, or else!”

“Cassandra, I swear, I am your mother...” replied Gothel, whose voice was trembling even as she did her best to convince Cassandra of the circumstances of her birth. “If you'll just let me explain-”

  
“There's nothing to explain,” said Cassandra. “Give me the keys to unlock Rapunzel's shackles, or I swear by the sword I will run you through.”

“I can prove it, Cassandra,” Gothel replied, her voice calming now as she looked into Cassandra's eyes with warmth and affection. “There was a song you'd always sing as a little girl... I remember every word...”

As Cassandra continued to hold the dagger to Gothel, and as Rapunzel watched, struggling fiercely in her shackles and wondering what in the world she could be talking about, Gothel calmly and quietly began to sing a melody Rapunzel had never heard before... a melody buried deep within Cassandra's memory.

_My mother's love_

_Is always right here waiting_

_She's always there_

_And so I'll keep on waiting_

As Gothel sang, Cassandra's hands began to shake, so much that the dagger nearly fell out of her grasp. Cassandra let out a quiet gasp, and memories immediately flooded into her mind... of a cottage, chores, a mirror, a music box... and a devoted mother who always showed her love to her wonderful daughter... or at least, that's the memory Gothel tried her best to place in Cassandra's mind with the tender words she sang. Though parts of Cassandra's memory remained obscured, the memories that surfaced were those of a warm and loving, if at times lonely home, and Cassandra began to sing with Gothel, quietly whispering the last two lines of the song in harmony.

_I love her for_

_The love she brings_

_So I'll keep waiting in the wings_

As Cassandra sang with Gothel, Rapunzel quietly spoke her name behind the gag, as stunned as Cassandra was to learn her deepest secret. She never imagined Cassandra's real mother was the woman who had kept her locked in a tower her entire life... but at the same time, she and Cassandra were both wondering the same thing.

“You see, Cassandra? You are my daughter, and I've missed you so terribly... and now, fate has brought us back together again.”

“If you've missed me so much,” said Cassandra, gripping her dagger with new resolve, though she had lowered it while she was singing and hadn't raised it against Gothel again, “then why did you abandon me?”

“Oh, Cassandra... is that what you think? Do you truly believe I abandoned you?”

“While you were here keeping Rapunzel prisoner, I was living in the palace with my dad, the captain of the guard,” said Cassandra, who didn't know whether to be more angry with Gothel for imprisoning Rapunzel or for abandoning her. “So why didn't you come back for me?”

“...surely by now you know who Rapunzel really is,” said Gothel, looking over at her. Rapunzel narrowed her eyes furiously, and continued to struggle and cry out under her gag, her fear now replaced with determination. She tried to loosen her gag by rubbing it on her shoulder, but the cloth was tied tightly and wouldn't come loose, and so Rapunzel instead cried out to Cassandra, appealing for help and begging her not to listen to Gothel.

_I'm the lost princess!_ Rapunzel shouted, enunciating as best as she could through the stifling cloth.  _Gothel took me when I was a baby!_

Cassandra could barely make out what Rapunzel was saying... but she herself had started to put the pieces together, and a new flash of recognition came over her.

“Rapunzel is the lost princess,” said Cassandra, pointing a finger at Gothel this time rather than a dagger. “And you stole her away from her real parents!”

“I did it for you, Cassandra! Everything I did, I did for you!”

“Bullshit,” spat Cassandra, reaching for her dagger again.

“It's the truth, Cassandra... please, let me explain everything,” said Gothel, sliding away from the window and beginning to pace around the room as she wove her tale. Cassandra's eyes furiously followed her, while Rapunzel tried to kick at Gothel when she got close, only for Gothel to spin around and avoid Rapunzel's half-hearted strike. “I had you and I raised you as best I could, from when you were just a little baby... I did the best I could for you... I fed you, I clothed you, and we lived together in a small cottage some distance from here... it was a humble home, but it was the best I could manage, and everything I was able to find, I brought back for you... you were my precious little girl and I loved you...”

As Gothel spoke, more memories entered Cassandra's mind... memories of warm blankets, toys, presents, hazelnut soup... she remembered Gothel's lullabies, and her kind words... while also remembering that Gothel would always be looking into a mirror... or that she seemed to have a lot of chores for such a little girl.

_Yes... I do remember,_ thought Cassandra, her mind spinning from the pair of revelations she'd gotten in the past few minutes.  _Gothel is my mother, and Rapunzel is the lost princess... Rapunzel is the lost princess, the lost princess is alive and I found her! I found her and I... I..._

Cassandra looked over at Rapunzel, who struggled again and called out to her. Cassandra instinctively reached toward Rapunzel, only for Gothel to put herself between the two of them as she continued to tell her story.

“I wanted to raise you into a strong and beautiful young woman... but I had a terrible problem, you see... I might look quite young, but in reality I am quite old... I've been alive for hundreds of years, in fact... keeping myself young with the aid of a beautiful golden flower known as the Sundrop. Cassandra, before I had you, I was ready to give up and let myself wither away... but... after an otherwise forgettable night of passion, I, well...”

Gothel took Cassandra's hand, and Cassandra almost immediately yanked it away. Gothel backed off, but continued her story.

“From the moment I had you, I lived only for you. I kept using the flower, but one day, it was gone... it had been taken, you see, taken by the royals to the palace... to use on-”

_My mother! My real mother!_ shouted Rapunzel, yanking hard at her chains.  _They took the flower to save her life!_

“They took _my_ flower,” Gothel replied, scolding Rapunzel.

_It's not your flower!_ Rapunzel protested, her chains rattling as she screamed. Cassandra immediately turned toward Rapunzel again, but before she could go to free her, Gothel grabbed her right hand with both of hers. Cassandra looked toward Gothel, whose eyes were pleading.

“Cassandra, when they took that flower, I had to make a choice... if I died, you would be left alone... without anyone to care for you... so I went to the palace... you remember, don't you?”

“Yes,” said Cassandra quietly, the day vivid in her mind, the day Gothel left for the palace. “I... I wanted to go with you.”

Another memory... Gothel, scolding her, then leaving... Cassandra forced to sweep the cottage in her absence. Before she had time to ruminate on the bitter memory, the one her mind had hidden from her, Gothel once again spoke, breaking Cassandra's train of thought.

“You know I couldn't risk your life... I simply needed to go to the palace and take a lock of the princess' hair... that's all I intended to do.”

_It was Gothel who cut my hair..._ thought Rapunzel, her eyes drifting to the single brown lock in her hair, the remnant from Gothel's attempt to cut it.  _I should have known, this whole time, she was the one who tried to steal my hair, it was always her!_

“I never wanted to take her... do you hear that, Rapunzel? It was never my intention to bring you here, but when I took the lock of hair-”

“....it withered in your hand,” said Cassandra sternly. “You tried to steal what wasn't yours, to prolong your own life.”

“To prolong it for you, Cassandra... and when the guards came, I... I panicked... I knew that if I surrendered then and there, and left Rapunzel in her crib, you would have been all alone in that cottage... and so I did the only thing I could. I took Rapunzel, yes, I took and brought her back to the cottage... I was hoping the two of you would grow up together. I never, ever intended to leave you, Cassandra.”

“But you _did_ leave me. You had a choice between Rapunzel and me, and you chose Rapunzel... no... you chose yourself.”

“I chose you, Cassandra!”

“You abandoned me!” Cassandra shouted, stalking toward Gothel, her hand once again on the hilt of her dagger. “I remember _everything_ now! The guards came, and instead of coming back for me, you cut the bridge leading to the cottage to make a clean getaway, and you left me behind! You left me all alone!”

“I left you for the guards, I gave you your best chance!” Gothel shouted back, tears in her eyes. “I never would have left you alone, you must believe me! And I always intended to come back for you someday... someday I was going to find you, and now fate... destiny... has brought you back to me, just like I always imagined it would!”

Gothel's voice was strained, tears were streaking down her face, and she wasn't making a single move to harm Cassandra... and Cassandra could hear the desperation in her voice, though she had no way to know whether it was desperation to save herself or to reconcile with the daughter she left behind. Her mind was still swarming with memories, memories of her childhood that she'd buried deep within, and of Gothel's warm touch... but also her stern rebukes, and her cruel orders, and the times when she'd leave Cassandra all alone...

“Cassandra, these past eighteen years I've desperately wanted to go back and see you, but I was worried... worried the guards might remember me, worried you wouldn't, and I just wanted to make sure we wouldn't be torn apart again. I... I had to know I wouldn't be forced to leave you again. I'm so sorry, Cassandra, but now we can make things right... together.”

Gothel then extended her arms to Cassandra, moving to wrap her up in an embrace. For a moment, Cassandra remembered the warmth of her mother's hugs, and the kindness Gothel had once shown her... but a loud, muffled shout from the corner of the room snapped Cassandra back into reality. Cassandra turned and saw Rapunzel, struggling as much as she ever had, screaming Cassandra's name and begging her not to be taken in.

_Cass, don't listen to her, she's trying to trick you! Don't let her do to you what she did to me, Cass, please!_

Cassandra then looked back at Gothel, and was immediately filled with disgust.

_Mother or not, I will never forgive what she's done to Rapunzel._

“Cassandra, won't you come back to your mother?”

“You might be telling the truth, but I want to hear what Rapunzel has to say,” Cassandra said, turning away from Gothel and walking toward Rapunzel. “After all, she's known you a lot longer than I have, and something tells me she'll have a much less flattering opinion of your skills as a mother.”

“Oh, Cassandra,” said Gothel, laughing nervously and waving toward Rapunzel with a dismissive hand gesture. “You shouldn't listen to Rapunzel, she's not thinking clearly-”

“Shut up!” Cassandra snapped, giving Gothel another furious glare before kneeling down in front of the chained Rapunzel, her expression softening immediately. “Raps, are you okay? Did she hurt you?”

Cassandra reached around and gingerly untied the knot holding the gag over Rapunzel's mouth. The white cloth dropped to the floor, and Rapunzel let out a quiet gasp before looking into Cassandra's eyes with cautious relief.

“She struck me in the head from behind when she knocked me out,” said Rapunzel, sounding more heartbroken than angry, never imagining that the woman she'd known as her mother for so long would ever physically harm her. Cassandra immediately looked back at Gothel again, eyes narrowed in a rage bordering on murderous, her hand going back to the hilt of her dagger.

“I had no choice-”

“I said SHUT UP!” shouted Cassandra, whose fury was only tempered by Rapunzel's sweet voice.

“I'm fine, Cass, don't worry about me... is she... is she telling the truth? Is mother... is Gothel... really your mother?”

Rapunzel and Cassandra both exchanged a look as if they didn't want it to be true, before Cassandra sighed with resignation.

“Raps, I... I remember things from my childhood, before I came to the palace with dad... that song.... she couldn't know that song unless she was really my mother. I remember her. ...she really is my mother.”

“Oh, Cass...”

Cassandra reached over and stroked her hand softly down Rapunzel's cheek. Rapunzel nuzzled it with her face, and Cassandra gently lifted Rapunzel's head to look into her eyes.

“Mother or not, she's not getting away with this. I'm getting you out of here and I'm taking you home. It's going to be okay, everything's going to be okay.”

“Cass... thank you. For everything.”

Cassandra nodded and stood up, turning away from Rapunzel and toward Gothel.

“...don't hurt her,” said Rapunzel. Cassandra gave a quiet nod, then began walking toward Gothel, who backed up toward the wall with a nervous but accomodating smile.

“The keys,” said Cassandra. “Give them to me, now.”

The look on Cassandra's face immediately toward Gothel that their familial connection meant absolutely nothing, and it was only Rapunzel's pleas for mercy that stayed Cassandra's hand. Gothel raised her hands back up in conciliation, making no effort to move against Cassandra in any way.

“Of course, of course,” replied Gothel, keeping one hand in the air as she reached down with her other, toward where she kept the keys to Rapunzel's shackles.

“Be careful, Cass...” whispered Rapunzel quietly, watching Gothel's other hand as Cassandra moved toward her. Cassandra reached out with one hand while keeping the other near her dagger, ready to keep her promise to Rapunzel but also to defend herself just in case.

“Now,” Cassandra repeated.

Gothel kept her hand at her waist, but didn't produce the keys just yet. Instead, she took a step toward Cassandra, who instinctively moved her hand closer to her dagger while moving slightly backward, as Rapunzel nervously shifted in the shackles. Gothel's expression drew somewhat darker, and she narrowed her eyes at Cassandra, her tone also deepening.

“What will you do when you return to the palace with her, hmm?” Gothel suddenly asked.

“What's that supposed to mean?” replied Cassandra.

“I mean... she's the lost princess, and all the kingdom will rejoice in celebration at her return... and I'm sure you'll be rewarded, perhaps with that post in the royal guard you've been looking for? Is that why you left the palace and came out all this way, to find the lost princess?”

“...I was looking for a thief,” said Cassandra. “Finding Rapunzel was just a stroke of good luck...”

“And how long do you think your luck will last? You'll return Rapunzel to the palace, take your place in the royal guard, and then how often do you think you'll see her?”

“I'll see her all the time, what kind of question is that?”

“Are you sure?” asked Gothel, who once again started to pace around the room. “Do you think the king and queen would let their precious princess cavort with a member of the royal guard, especially after having lost her for so long?”

“My parents aren't anything like you!” shouted Rapunzel. “They won't just lock me away in a tower like a prisoner!”

“And how do you know, have you even met them?” asked Gothel, turning toward Cassandra. “You know more about the king and queen than Rapunzel does, surely you know what they're like and how they'd act after getting Rapunzel back.”

Cassandra started to reply, but then she began to think about every interaction she'd ever had with Frederick and Arianna... the king and queen of Corona. Arianna was nice enough, from the few times Cassandra had spoken with her, and indeed, the resemblance between her and Rapunzel in both appearance and personality was fairly striking. Frederick, on the other hand... he was stern, strict, much like Cassandra's father. After Rapunzel's disappearance, he'd been the one to initiate the kingdom's crackdown on criminals... locking down the palace, locking people up for petty crimes, even bringing back capital punishment... he was a good man, but the more Cassandra thought about him, the more she started to think that there might be some truth behind Gothel's words... but she remembered quickly where she was and who she was talking to, and refused to be taken in.

“They love Rapunzel, they would never lock her away from the world like you did. I don't know what you're getting at, but if you're trying to convince me to let you keep Rapunzel here, you're wasting your breath.”

“Oh, but you don't know for sure either, do you? They might not confine her to a single room, but I doubt they'd ever let a member of the royal guard fraternize with the princess. You might see her at parties, or during official royal business, but forget running around on adventures together, and forget anything else you might be thinking of doing. They'll marry her off to some handsome prince, and you'll be left waiting in the wings once again...”

Cassandra clenched her fist bitterly, the thought of being torn away from Rapunzel already starting to sting... but then she cursed herself silently for being so selfish, and angrily glared at Gothel.

“I don't care what they say, or whether or not I get to see her! She'll be free and that's all that matters! She'll be free and she'll be happy... the last two days I spent with Rapunzel were... the most fun I ever had, and she was smiling practically the whole time....”

Cassandra turned to Rapunzel, who even now, with her wrists shackled behind her back, was smiling to hear Cassandra speaking of her in such a way.

“All I want is Rapunzel to be happy, whether her parents let me be with her or not.”

_I won't let them keep us apart, Cass,_ thought Rapunzel, continuing to beam as Cassandra rebuked Gothel's temptations.  _I'll tell them all about you, how kind you are, and how brave you are, and how you saved me... and how much I care about you. They'll have to let us be together. I know they love me and I know they'll love you too._

“Is that all you can think of, to try and convince me not to let Rapunzel go home?” asked Cassandra, turning toward Gothel again with an offended look on her face. “Who the hell do you think I am? You think that just because I'm your daughter, I'm as vain and as selfish as you are?”

“Of course not, Cassandra, I'm not telling you these things because I think you're selfish, quite the opposite,” Gothel replied. She walked toward Cassandra and reached to place a hand on her shoulder, only for it to be swatted away.

“Try to touch me again and I'll cut your hand off,” said Cassandra, furiously glaring into Gothel's eyes.

“Cassandra, all I'm trying to tell you is that once you bring Rapunzel to the palace, you won't be able to protect her anymore.”

“Protect her?” replied Cassandra, raising an eyebrow.

“Once you bring her to the palace, she'll be under the protection of the royal guard... and whether or not you're one of them, it will be her parents' decision as to who protects Rapunzel, not yours. Maybe they'll make you her bodyguard... gods forbid they decide to make you her handmaiden or something.”

“What's your point?”

“My point is, Cassandra... the only way you can make sure you'll always be with her to keep her safe is by keeping her here... with me, your mother...”

Cassandra's expression grew even fiercer than it already was, and she stormed toward Gothel, forcing her back into the wall. Rapunzel gasped, and thought about calling out to Cassandra to remind her not to get violent, but Cassandra kept her cool, barely, slamming her hand hard into the wall just above Gothel's head.

“Are you insane?!” she shouted.

“I know it sounds crazy-”

“Keeping Rapunzel as our prisoner? No, that doesn't sound crazy at all,” replied Cassandra, using sarcasm to keep from erupting into a torrent of screaming obscenities.

“We'll take her from the tower... you, me, together... somewhere safer, somewhere bigger, more comfortable for all of us. Yes, we would have to keep her chained up, for a time...”

_I can't stand to see Rapunzel chained up for another minute_ , thought Cassandra, who briefly pondered punching Gothel out and grabbing the key from her prone body, and had to mentally restrain herself from doing so as Gothel continued to plead her case.

“But eventually... eventually she would come to understand that this is the best solution for all of us... for her, for me, and especially for you. She'd have you to keep her company... you to protect her... we'd all live together like a family... you could finally be sisters-”

“ _Not_ sisters,” Cassandra said through gritted teeth, narrowing her eyes and leaning in closer to Gothel. The very idea that Gothel referred to them as sisters was the most repulsive thing she'd said yet, though not for the reason one might immediately think. Yes, the idea of the two of them being sisters would certainly preclude the kind of relationship Cassandra hoped to have with Rapunzel, the kind Cassandra hoped Rapunzel wanted to have with her... but the idea was disgusting to Cassandra for an entirely different reason.

_For us to be sisters, you would have to be our mother. You are NOT Rapunzel's mother, and you will NEVER be mine._

Gothel could say anything she wanted, and Cassandra knew the truth of her birth... but the woman cowering in front of her, the one who'd abandoned her, the one who'd _hurt Rapunzel._.. that woman would never be her mother, no matter what webs of lies she spun.

“...of course, of course, not sisters at all!” said Gothel with a laugh. “But we could still live together, and I'm sure in time Rapunzel would grow quite comfortable with the arrangement... she would keep me young, and you... Cassandra, you could finally be the hero you've always wanted to be!”

“In what... twisted, fucked up world would keeping an innocent girl prisoner make me a hero?!” shouted Cassandra, who suddenly wished she'd held onto that cloth she'd untied from Rapunzel's mouth so she could shove it in Gothel's.

“You could go out and do whatever you wanted, fight any battle you chose, protect anyone you wanted to, save people who were in trouble... and if you ever got hurt, Rapunzel would be there for you... she would always be there, and so would I...”

Cassandra backed away from Gothel, recoiling in disgust and almost shivering at the callousness in her words. Was Gothel, her own mother, seriously suggesting that they use Rapunzel as some kind of tool to keep both of them healthy and young forever? Did she seriously think that Cassandra was so depraved, so desperate to achieve her dream, that she'd inflict the same pain on Rapunzel that she'd experienced the first eighteen years of her life?

“I can't believe what I'm hearing...” whispered Cassandra, shaking with disgust.

“Mother, stop it!” shouted Rapunzel, stretching her chain as far as it would go in an effort to reach out to Cassandra. “Cassandra isn't like you, she promised never to hurt me, and she would never, _ever_ use me like that!”

But as Cassandra struggled with the urge to wring Gothel's neck, she remembered her own suggestion, the one she'd made to Rapunzel by the campfire that night, that an army could use Rapunzel's hair to keep themselves in fighting shape, practically immortal, and wage a campaign of conquest across the world. She was disgusted with Gothel, and now she was disgusted with herself. She hated Gothel for making her feel that way, but she also hated herself for thinking the same way as she did.

“Cass, it's okay, I know you'd never do that. You're a good person, Cassandra, the best person I've ever met. You're a hero, and you don't need me to be a hero, you already were one before I met you.”

“No, Raps,” said Cassandra, turning toward her. “Before I met you, I thought only about myself... about my dreams, my destiny... and even after I met you, I still couldn't stop thinking about myself. Back in the forest, when we were going after Rider, I was still trying to get you to do things my way... if I'd listened to you in the first place, if I'd just gone with you and trusted you, we wouldn't have gotten separated and you wouldn't be here in chains right now, and I.... I wouldn't have ended up...”

“...ended up what, Cass?” asked Rapunzel, as Cassandra struggled to speak about what had happened to her.

“Oh, Cassandra, is something wrong, my dear?”

“Don't talk to me,” she said darkly, turning toward Gothel. “Just give me the keys so I can get Rapunzel out of here.”

“Cassandra... I can tell you're afraid of something,” said Gothel, walking toward Cassandra and reaching out, but remembering not to touch her. “Are you afraid to lose Rapunzel? Are you afraid that something's going to happen to her?”

“Something already has happened to her,” replied Cassandra fiercely. “You. You happened to her. You stole her from her parents, you locked her in this tower, you spent eighteen years filling her head with lies and fear, and when she finally saw through all the bullshit you planted in her mind and worked up the courage to walk away from you, you attacked her and chained her up like an animal!”

“I did it for you-”

“Say that to me one more time!” snapped Cassandra, ready to dive on top of her mother and break every bone in her body, regardless of anything she'd told Rapunzel. Despite the furious rage in Cassandra's expression, Gothel remained completely calm, and decided to reveal one more thing from her past, something she hadn't spoken of with anyone in a very long time.

“Cassandra, there's something else you need to know.”

“No. No more lies, no more stories, no more trying to convince me that I'm not worthy of her love-”

Cassandra stopped herself and put a hand up to her mouth, turning away from Gothel and back toward Rapunzel. Their eyes met, and Rapunzel gave Cassandra a warm smile, trying to convince her that she was nothing like her mother, that she really was a hero, and that she really was worthy of every kind thing Rapunzel had said to her.

“Cassandra, the flower I used to make myself young... it has a name. It's called the Sundrop, and after it was used to save Rapunzel's mother, the Sundrop became part of her.”

_The Sundrop?_ Rapunzel blinked, looking past Cassandra and toward Gothel, who was speaking of something she'd never heard about before. 

“The Sundrop isn't just a flower, it's an immensely powerful font of magical energy, and it has the power to do so much more than healing.”

“So what then?” said Cassandra. “Are you trying to convince me that I need to use Rapunzel's power to make myself stronger? Because I already told you-”

“I'm trying to tell you that there's _another_ source of magical energy, equally as powerful, and now that you're back here with me, we can go and find it... together.”

Gothel then placed a hand on Cassandra's shoulder... but instead of immediately turning away or hacking it off, Cassandra remained motionless, looking back at Rapunzel, whose eyes didn't have a hint of recognition in them.

_Mother never told me any of this... which means it must be a lie... Cassandra, don't be taken in by it! You're so strong, I know you don't believe anything she's telling you!_

“It's called the Moonstone, and I spent a very long time trying to find it, many years ago,” said Gothel. “I don't know exactly where it is, but now that you're here, we can search for it, with Rapunzel by our side.”

“I told you, the answer is _no_ ,” said Cassandra. “There is nothing you can do or say that will _ever_ convince me to betray Rapunzel. No amount of money, no amount of power, nothing will ever make me hurt her, so you can stop all these little games and give me those keys to set her free, right now!”

“But think about it, Cassandra... with the Moonstone in hand, you would be unstoppable... and no one would ever be able to hurt you or Rapunzel ever again. We wouldn't even have to hide anymore... we could live freely, anywhere we wanted, we could set Rapunzel free... you would have the power to stop anyone who wanted to hurt either one of us.”

“Cassandra, she's lying,” said Rapunzel, watching the anger on Cassandra's face begin to shift into contemplation. “Even if the Moonstone is real, do you think she'd give it to you? She just wants it for herself, just like she wants my power. She's nothing but a power hungry witch who would do anything to keep herself beautiful, and you can't believe anything she says!”

Even as Rapunzel spoke those words, she herself couldn't believe what she was saying. Gothel, the woman she still found herself sometimes referring to as her mother... the one who'd raised her, the one she still felt love toward even after the betrayals of the last few hours... even after Rapunzel had seen her for what she truly was, she still felt guilty about calling her a witch, and she could even see the hurt expression on Gothel's face as well... unable to tell if it was real or just another lie.

“Cassandra, think about all the times you've felt helpless... think about all the times you could have used that power... all I've ever wanted for you since the moment I had to let you go was to see you safe and happy...”

Cassandra's mind flashed back to that forest... to the Stabbingtons... to being restrained, and helpless... to seeing them standing over her, sadistic lust in their eyes. She shivered, and thought of something else. Her father, telling her she couldn't be in the royal guard, telling her it wasn't safe...

_The world is a dangerous place,_ thought Cassandra, her mind echoing her father's words over and over again.  _You're not strong enough to face it, not yet._

“Look at her, Cassandra,” said Gothel, reaching up to raise Cassandra's head to look at Rapunzel.

“Cass, I'm safe,” Rapunzel immediately told her. “I'm right here, and I'm okay.”

Cassandra could see Rapunzel... the strong, smart, brave princess kneeling before her... kneeling before her in chains. She flashed back to when she'd first entered the room, when she saw Rapunzel kneeling against that post, a gag tied over her mouth.

_Cassandra!_

Rapunzel's muffled cries and the fear in her eyes echoed in Cassandra's mind, which then went back to the Stabbingtons... that hand trailing up her body, the absolute helplessness she felt as she struggled in her own bonds, her screams muffled as well. Her screams and Rapunzel's blended together. She saw the Stabbingtons, then she saw Rapunzel.

_Cassandra!_

Cassandra looked down at her hands... strong, skilled... ordinary.

_With the Moonstone... I could..._

She imagined herself in Rapunzel's place, the rattling of chains... the Stabbingtons' attention now focused on a trapped Rapunzel. She imagined Rapunzel's screams again.

“With the Moonstone's power, you would never have to worry about protecting Rapunzel. She'd be safe... you could keep her safe, always,” said Gothel. “Cassandra, I am so sorry I wasn't there for you... it must have been so frightening to be all alone.”

“Cassandra!” Rapunzel shouted, pulling on her chains as hard as she could. For a moment, Cassandra saw reality. Then, her mind flashed back again, and she shivered.

_Cassandra!_

For the briefest of moments, she saw Rapunzel and her darkest nightmares, and a tear slid down her face.

And in that nightmare, a soft voice greeted Cassandra... it was the voice of a little girl, glowing brightly, calling out to her in the depths of her pain.

“It's a terrible feeling, to be so helpless and afraid,” said the little girl, reaching out to Cassandra. “Do you remember that dream you used to have, about saving the lost princess?”

Cassandra sniffled, wiping away her tear. She nodded, and the little girl reached out to take her hand.

“And now you see the lost princess before you...”

“But I can't protect her,” said Cassandra, bowing her head in shame. “Once I take her back to the palace, I can't protect her from what's out there. I... I can't even protect myself. If Eugene hadn't shown up, I would've been....”

“It's all right, Cassandra... but you know what you have to do to keep that from happening to you or the people you love ever again. Go with your mother, Cassandra. Find the Moonstone, and become the hero and protector you were always destined to be.”

The little girl clutched Cassandra's hand, and Cassandra gripped it tightly... then, the nightmare faded, and she returned to reality. Rapunzel, still struggling before her. Gothel, now standing back near the window, beckoning Cassandra to go with her. Cassandra, looking down at her hands and realizing what she had to do. Rapunzel looked up at Cassandra, and Cassandra looked back at her, looking into her eyes with a new resolve.

“Cass... everything's going to be okay.”

“....yeah, Raps. It is.”

Cassandra then turned back toward Gothel, who stretched out her arms for a hug, seeing the changed look in her daughter's eyes... the look of someone ready to accept her destiny. Cassandra smiled and stepped forward, and Gothel smiled back at her, as Rapunzel's eyes began to widen.

“Cassandra?”

Cassandra continued to walk toward Gothel, who let out an exclamation of joy.

“That's right, Cassandra, come to mommy...”

Cassandra leaned forward, and stretched out her own arms to embrace Gothel, as Rapunzel let out a quiet gasp. Gothel closed her eyes, and felt the warmth of her daughter's embrace for the first time in eighteen years. Cassandra's arms reached around her.

“That's it... mother knows best...” Gothel whispered, as Cassandra's arms tightened around her.

Then, Cassandra's arms loosened, and Gothel no longer felt her embrace. She opened her eyes and immediately reached down to where her keys were kept... and felt nothing. She looked up and saw Cassandra, holding the keys to Rapunzel's shackles and looking at her with determination and anger, no hint of the fear from earlier in her eyes.

“What...?” Gothel stammered, as Cassandra leaned in.

“Rapunzel is the strongest person I've ever met... she's even stronger than me, and she's a lot stronger than you! I want to protect Rapunzel, because I care about her, but she doesn't need me or anyone else to keep her safe, and I won't let her spend another minute locked up in this tower! I'm taking these keys and getting Rapunzel out of here, and then I'm taking her back home... back to her _real family_.”

As Gothel's shock began to transform into anger, Cassandra, whose disgust toward her biological mother had not even begun to be exhausted, leaned in even closer.

“And as for you... I'm going to put you in the deepest, darkest dungeon in Corona for the rest of your miserable life. But look on the bright side... without Rapunzel to use, I don't think that's going to be very long.”

Cassandra then turned away from Gothel, whose anger quickly turned into white hot fury. Her own daughter had betrayed her... and to make matters worse, she'd added insult to injury by taunting her as well.

And now... now she was going to take Rapunzel away, the only chance she had to stay young and beautiful forever.

“Rapunzel, I'm getting you out of here,” said Cassandra, walking over to Rapunzel with her keys in hand, too concerned with freeing her to see Gothel start to slink up behind her. “Let's go home.”

“Oh, Cass...” Rapunzel said to her, having already been moved nearly to tears by Cassandra's kind words toward her after taking the keys from Gothel. They'd have to have a talk about Gothel's fate once they got her back to the palace, but for now, she was just happy that Cassandra hadn't been swayed by Gothel's temptations, and that she was about to be free. “I knew you'd-”

Out of the corner of her eye, Rapunzel saw Gothel lunge at Cassandra.

“Cass, look out!”

“You ungrateful little whore!” Gothel shrieked, plunging a knife into Cassandra's side.

Cassandra had time to turn, but not enough time to prevent the knife from being stabbed into her, and before she could strike back, Gothel had already pulled out the knife, leaving a gaping, bleeding wound in her gut and puncturing one of her vital organs. Cassandra grunted and doubled over in pain, falling to one knee as Gothel stood over her, bloody knife in hand.

“CASS!” screamed Rapunzel in terror and agony, attempting to crawl to her despite the chain holding her back.

“Now look what you've done, Rapunzel,” said Gothel dismissively, wiping the blood from her knife. Cassandra, still writhing in agony, began to stand up again, her pain momentarily overcome by blinding rage.

_You're still gaslighting her?!_ thought Cassandra, more upset about Gothel's callousness toward Rapunzel than the stabbing... though she was plenty pissed off about both, and as Rapunzel continued to cry out, screaming Cassandra's name, adrenaline took over and flooded the wounded woman's body. “YOU MONSTER!”

Before Gothel could say anything else, Cassandra was on her, striking her squarely in the nose with a single ferocious punch. Gothel stumbled back, her nose broken and bleeding profusely, and Cassandra responded with another hard punch to Gothel's face which caused her to fall onto her back. Cassandra then fell on top of her, and started punching Gothel repeatedly, prompting a loud cry of pain from her with every strike.

“I'LL KILL YOU!” Cassandra screamed, punching Gothel again as Rapunzel let out a cry of terror.

“I'm your mother!” Gothel shouted, raising her hands to try and protect herself from Cassandra's blows, only for Cassandra to suddenly grab her by the throat and begin strangling her as hard as she could. “....!!!”

“Burn in hell, you narcissistic witch!”

_Cass, stop!_ thought Rapunzel, not knowing whether to be more frightened for Gothel or for herself... but after everything she'd seen, after everything Gothel had said and after the stabbing, Rapunzel couldn't blame Cassandra for anything she did... her own mother had just stabbed her, and she'd witnessed Gothel's cruelty firsthand... her heart cried out for Gothel, but she didn't have the heart to beg Cassandra for mercy... but at the same time, the thought of the woman she loved murdering her own mother brought a chill to her spine, and she desperately hoped Cassandra would stop, if only to save her own soul.  _Cass, I know you're upset, but please don't do this... don't kill Gothel, just get me free and I can heal you... I can heal both of you and we'll go back to the palace together._

But Cassandra wasn't going to stop... if Gothel was willing to stab her, who knows what she might do to Rapunzel? She couldn't kill Rapunzel, but there were things worse than death... and she knew that killing Gothel was the only way to prevent those things from happening.

_I know I said I wouldn't hurt her, but this is the only way... it's the only way... I..._

But even as Cassandra choked the life out of Gothel, she could feel her grip starting to loosen... it wasn't that she was having second thoughts, she was losing blood, quickly, and Gothel, even through the stars starting to form before her eyes from lack of oxygen, started to realize it as well.

And when Cassandra's grip had weakened substantially, Gothel reached up and pried her daughter's hands from her neck. Cassandra let out a pained grunt and rolled off of Gothel and onto her side, the pain from her wound finally starting to overwhelm her. Gothel gasped for a moment, collecting her breath before rising to her feet and wiping the blood from her face. She looked down at Cassandra and gave a dismissive smirk, triumphantly standing over her.

“Look at you,” said Gothel, her voice slightly raspy but still loud enough for Cassandra to hear the cruel taunt. “Pathetic.”

And then, Gothel kicked Cassandra in her injured side, forcing a loud scream of pain from her lips.

“STOP IT!” Rapunzel screamed, lunging forward in her chains. Gothel walked around Cassandra's fallen body and over to Rapunzel, giving another quiet laugh.

“She never should have come here, and you never should have left,” said Gothel, looking down at Rapunzel. “And we both know whose fault that is, don't we?”

Rapunzel ignored Gothel for the moment and looked around her, at Cassandra laying on the ground. Cassandra struggled weakly, reaching out to Rapunzel, who desperately tried to get to her in turn.

“Rapunzel...” said Cassandra weakly, looking into her trapped friend's eyes. “I'm sorry... I said I wouldn't hurt her, but I just... I...”

“It's okay, Cass... I know why you did...”

Rapunzel looked up at Gothel.

“What is _wrong_ with you?!” Rapunzel shouted furiously.

“She was going to take you away from me,” said Gothel, reaching around to unwrap Rapunzel's chains from the post. “I couldn't let that happen. Now, as for us, we are going where no one will ever find you again!”

Pascal, who'd been sitting in a dark corner of the room, watching what was happening with increasing dread, ran out and tried to stop Gothel, only to be cruelly kicked across the room, smacking against the wall with a loud squeak of pain.

“Cassandra!” shouted Rapunzel, struggling against Gothel as hard as she could and watching as Cassandra continued to writhe in agony on the floor, barely able to remain conscious, let alone do anything to help her. “Cassandra, I'm sorry!”

“Rapunzel, really!” shouted Gothel, yanking on Rapunzel's shackles again and attempting to drag her toward the ladder leading down from the room. “Enough already!”

Rapunzel, filled with a fury and resolve like she'd never experienced before in her life, began to kick wildly, nearly striking Gothel, and even tried to headbutt her in her injured nose. Her efforts proved in vain, but they were enough to allow her to prevent Gothel from dragging her along, and Gothel cried out in frustration.

“Stop fighting me!”

“NO!” Rapunzel screamed, collapsing onto the floor. “I won't stop! For every minute of the rest of my life, I will fight! I will never stop trying to get away from you!”

Cassandra looked up from the floor, her heart flooded with admiration at Rapunzel's strength even in the face of such despair. Rapunzel looked over at her, and their eyes met again, and Cassandra knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Rapunzel truly was the strongest person she'd ever met... and that she would be willing to do anything to keep this evil woman from taking her away. Rapunzel looked back at Gothel, and her eyes were filled with courage and determination... she knew what she had to do now to save Cassandra's life.

“But... if you let me save her... I will go with you.”

As Gothel looked down at Rapunzel, Cassandra began crawling toward her, crying out to her and trying her best to ignore the burning pain coursing through her body.

“No! Rapunzel, don't you dare!”

“I'll never run... I'll never try to escape... just let me heal her... and you and I will be together, forever, just like you want! Everything will be the way it was! I promise!”

“Gods dammit, Rapunzel, no...!” Cassandra grunted, struggling with everything she had to pick herself up from the ground, clutching her hand to her wound to try and stop the bleeding, anything to convince Rapunzel that she was going to be okay.

“Just like you want... just... let me heal her...”

Gothel looked down at Rapunzel, and then at Cassandra, who was still begging Rapunzel not to do what she was about to do... but Rapunzel's mind was made up, and Gothel, who knew that Rapunzel never broke her promises, was more than happy with the deal... even though her daughter had been ready to kill her before.

“...don't say I never did anything for you, Cassandra,” said Gothel, undoing the shackles from Rapunzel's wrists. “But first...”

O-O-O

_Bring back what once was mine..._

_What once was mine..._

Gothel breathed a loud sigh of relief, reaching up and touching her newly healed nose, and practicing a few notes to make sure her throat was fully healed as well. As Rapunzel unwrapped her hair from Gothel, Cassandra sat nearby, now bound to a post in the shackles that once held Rapunzel. Rapunzel collapsed on top of her in a tight embrace, stroking Cassandra's face tenderly and trying to ease her pain.

“Cass!” Rapunzel cried, holding Cassandra's hand before lifting up her shirt to inspect her wound. It had worsened, bleeding out badly and staining Cassandra's clothes with a deep red. “I'm so sorry...”

“Don't... apologize,” Cassandra whispered to her, reaching up to try and touch her face as well. “And don't do this... you can't do this, think about how happy you were before...”

Rapunzel shook her head, a tear streaking down her face as Cassandra finally touched her cheek and stroked it tenderly. She turned to kiss Cassandra's hand, and Cassandra gave Gothel a fierce glare before looking back at Rapunzel.

“Raps, listen to me... you are the kindest, sweetest, bravest person in the world, and you are going to help so many people... but you can't do that if you're that old hag's prisoner...! This isn't your destiny, none of it is!”

“It's not your destiny to die here,” Rapunzel replied, continuing to stroke Cassandra's face and nuzzling her face in her hair. She had to start the healing incantation soon, there wasn't much time left. “Cass, you have to go back and protect the kingdom... protect it for me, okay?”

“I... I couldn't even protect you,” said Cassandra, trying to wrap her shackled arms around Rapunzel.

“Shhh... it's going to be all right...”

Cassandra quivered with grief as tears started to fall down her own face, thinking of all the time she and Rapunzel had spent together, and realizing that Rapunzel had gotten to taste freedom, only to be torn away from it all because of her. She looked back into Rapunzel's eyes, and as she rested one hand on Rapunzel's back, she felt something under her other hand... a shard of glass from the mirror that Gothel's fall had broken earlier. She clutched the shard, and looked back up at Rapunzel.

“Raps... I can't let you do this...”

“And I can't let you die...”

Rapunzel leaned in, and Cassandra's arms moved forward, wrapping around her. Their foreheads moved together, and Cassandra grabbed Rapunzel's arm in one hand and moved the shard toward it with the other.

_Sorry, Raps, but if you won't save yourself, I'm going to save you._

Cassandra's hand moved forward to cut Rapunzel's hair... and a hand clasped tightly around her wrist, stopping her.

“Ah ah ah,” said Gothel, clutching Cassandra's wrist with one hand and grabbing the glass shard with the other. “What were you trying to do, Cassandra? A gift like the Sundrop has to be protected, and you were just going to destroy it, and not even ask Rapunzel's permission? I told you, Rapunzel, she was a dangerous girl... I don't know why I'm letting you save her, but you'd better hurry.”

Gothel tossed the shard of glass away, and all Cassandra could do was watch it, and her last hope of saving Rapunzel, shatter on the floor. Cassandra gasped and looked at Rapunzel, who reached up to her still intact hair and bowed her head.

“I'm sorry, Cass... but you have to let me protect you this time.”

Cassandra shivered, shaking her head in silence as she felt Rapunzel's hair touch her wound. She began to sob, begging Rapunzel not to go through with it, knowing that for the rest of her life, she would have to live with the memory of Rapunzel and the knowledge that she was going to be Gothel's prisoner.

“Rapunzel, no... NO! Please, don't do this! Don't try to save me!”

_Flower, gleam and glow..._

Rapunzel's hair began to glow brightly, and Cassandra's struggles intensified, though her wound kept her restrained far more than the shackles did.

_Let your power shine..._

“I'm not worth saving!” Cassandra cried out, prompting Rapunzel to gently place three fingers to her lips as she continued to sing.

_Make the clock reverse..._

Cassandra twisted her head away from Rapunzel's hand and looked up at Gothel, who coldly glared down at her, not an ounce of love in her eyes. She mustered up the strength to lift one of her hands and raise her middle finger at Gothel, who just laughed quietly, rolling her eyes at the display.

_Bring back what once was mine..._

“Rapunzel, listen to me... If you do this...”

_Heal what has been hurt..._

“If you do this, I'll spend every minute of the rest of my life looking for you! I will never stop trying to find you!”

_Change the fates' design..._

Cassandra continued to struggle, fueled once more by adrenaline, tugging at her shackles and at the post and trying with everything she had to stop the healing magic from affecting her. If she died, Rapunzel wouldn't be bound by her promise. If she died, Rapunzel could live. She grunted and screamed, her agony echoing through the room.

_Save what has been lost..._

“RAPUNZEL, STOP! DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO SAVE ME, I DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE, YOU DO!”

_Bring back what once was mine..._

The spell was near completion, but Cassandra's wound hadn't yet begun to heal... only the complete incantation would activate the magic. Only once the activation was complete could the deal be done. Cassandra lunged forward again, and one of the chains holding her to the post snapped. She pushed herself forward.

_What once was-_

Cassandra's lips met Rapunzel's, stifling her last word and interrupting the spell. The glow faded from Rapunzel's hair, as did the magic, leaving Cassandra's wound intact. Rapunzel cried out in shock as Cassandra's lips continued to press into hers, but even though the kiss brought a tingle to Rapunzel's lips that made her want more, she knew Cassandra's life was still in dire danger, and she pushed her away, looking at her with a shocked and aghast expression.

“Cass, no...! You need to let me finish!”

Cassandra had broken one of the chains, but she was still connected to the post by another... she'd earned herself some slack... enough to move around the room, but not enough to escape entirely... she could let Rapunzel heal her and take a leap at Gothel, but she had no way to know whether or not she'd be successful, and Gothel was probably too smart to even let her try.

“Cassandra, stop being so foolish, you'll die if you don't let her go through with it, now sit down and let her heal you so we can end this stupid little game!”

Cassandra looked toward the open window... there was another solution. She looked back at Rapunzel.

_Raps, I'm sorry... but I can't let you exchange your life for mine... so... I've got to make sure there's nothing to exchange it for._

Mustering every bit of strength she had, Cassandra stood up, bracing herself against the post and pulling herself to her feet. Rapunzel stood up with her, trying to help Cassandra back down.

“Cass, please, you can't do this, you're going to bleed out if you don't let me heal you right now!”

Rapunzel was screaming, and tears were streaking down her face... Cassandra hated to put Rapunzel through this, but she knew it was nothing compared to what she was about to put Rapunzel through... and she hoped it would be enough to set Rapunzel free. Cassandra backed toward the window, and wrapped one of the loose chains tightly around her neck, leaving the other chain secured around the post. She looked up at Rapunzel with tears streaking down her face... her entire body was trembling. She didn't want to die... she wanted to live, and be with Rapunzel, and become a knight, and protect the kingdom... protect everyone, and be a hero. She didn't want Rapunzel to witness this... knowing the sadness it would bring her, knowing that Rapunzel would have to live with the memory for the rest of her life... but at least it would be a free life.

“No... oh no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!” Rapunzel screamed, realizing what Cassandra was going to do and lunging for her to try and stop it. “CASSANDRA, NO!”

“Raps, I'm sorry... but I'm not letting anyone give their life for mine,” said Cassandra, taking another step back toward the window. “Don't watch me do this.”

“Cassandra, you fool!” shouted Gothel, storming toward the window to stop Cassandra. “Let her heal you, I'm not going to give her another chance!”

“Don't do this!” Rapunzel cried, reaching out as Cassandra stepped back onto the window sill. “Please, let me save you!”

“It's like I told you before, Raps... you have to save yourself.”

Then, Cassandra let herself fall... and Rapunzel screamed before turning away, unwilling to watch as the chain attached to Cassandra's neck pulled taut. Gothel watched, and as Rapunzel let out another scream, she rolled her eyes and shook her head, putting her hand to her face and wondering how her daughter could be so foolish to throw away her chance to live.

“CASSANDRA!” Rapunzel screamed, sobbing as she fell to the floor, convulsing with grief. She wailed out in agony, her arms wrapped around her chest, rocking back and forth and heaving with sadness.

“Now, now, Rapunzel, you tried to save her, but she refused to be saved,” said Gothel, walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder. “You did everything you could for her, but she was just too stubborn.”

Through her tears and her despair, Rapunzel's mind felt something else... a shock, both at the death of the woman she loved and at the thought that her own mother could be so callous. She knew Gothel had been willing to stab Cassandra, but that she would show such little caring at the sight of Cassandra's death shook Rapunzel to her very core, and despite the intense sadness and pain she felt, she rose to her feet and turned toward Gothel, her fists clenched as she looked into the eyes of the woman she too had once called mother.

“Well, Rapunzel, a promise is a promise... I did let you try to save her, it's not my fault she decided to jump out the window.”

“She was your daughter,” Rapunzel whispered, her voice a mix of sadness, shock, and anger.

“Ugh, you know I hate it when you mumble-”

“SHE WAS YOUR DAUGHTER!” Rapunzel shouted, storming toward Gothel. “I made you a promise, and I will keep it, but the least you can do is show a little bit of sadness that the girl you gave birth to is dead!”

Gothel, though intimidated by Rapunzel's sudden burst of anger, narrowed her eyes and showed not an ounce of regret or sadness... indeed, she still saw Cassandra as merely a pest... a pest who was now exterminated by her own hand.

“I did have the misfortune of giving birth to her after a careless fling, but truth be told, she was always a whiny little brat,” said Gothel, causing Rapunzel to gasp. “She was _never_ my daughter.”

Rapunzel's heart dropped, as did her jaw. The sheer callousness of Gothel's words was more than she could bear, and she could feel an uncontrollable anger permeating every part of her body. She had seen, in the past few hours, her mother Gothel do horrible, unforgivable things, but even after all of that, she had been willing to keep her promise... and even in all that evil, had seen the good she remembered in her mother. She didn't want to think she'd been living for eighteen years with a selfish, evil, horrible person... but in that one statement, Rapunzel's memories of Gothel were shattered, replaced with an all-consuming need to do something... anything... and Cassandra's last words echoed in her mind.

_You have to save yourself._

“Now come along, Rapunzel... we'll find somewhere where we'll be left alone, forever and ever, just like it's always been.”

Gothel started to leave the room, but couldn't hear Rapunzel's footsteps behind her. She looked back, and saw Rapunzel standing near the window... with Cassandra's dagger in her hand. It had fallen off Cassandra's belt when she'd been put up against that post, and Rapunzel had found it... and was holding it in one hand and her hair in the other.

“Rapunzel... what are you doing?”

Rapunzel said nothing to Gothel... she just looked into her eyes with tears in her own, her hand trembling. She gripped her hair tightly, and raised the dagger.

“Rapunzel, stop....”

Rapunzel's hand ceased its trembles, and her expression went from a mix of sadness and anger to one of pure determination.

“Stop, stop this instant!”

Gothel stormed toward Rapunzel.

“I am your mother!”

“You were _never_ my mother.”

In a single motion, Rapunzel cut her hair with the dagger. The hair on her head and the hair in her hand immediately went from blonde to brown, and Gothel grabbed it, clutching it tightly with both hands and looking up at Rapunzel.

“NO!” Gothel screamed, grabbing the hair and continuing to cling it tightly to her body. “No, no, no, no! What have you DONE?!”

Rapunzel watched as Gothel screamed at her again, her face aging in an instant, her hair turning white as she clutched at her rapidly aging hand. As she watched Gothel continue to scream and writhe in agony, an instinctual guilt flooded her mind, and she began to slowly walk over to Gothel, who pushed her away, raging in agony.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” she screamed at Rapunzel, prompting Rapunzel to wrap her arms tightly around Gothel and collapse on top of her, starting to shake and sob as she held her tightly.

“I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...” sobbed Rapunzel, overwhelmed with guilt even as she knew she'd done the right thing. Gothel continued to scream, twisting in Rapunzel's arms until nothing but dust remained, and Rapunzel continued to clutch the dust-covered cloak for several more seconds, sobbing into it and clutching it tightly, trying to reconcile the mother she'd known for the past eighteen years with the monster she'd just slain. “I'm sorry...”

Pascal, who'd recovered from the kick he received, walked over to Rapunzel and placed a comforting foot on her arm, and she kept sobbing as she clutched Gothel's cloak, mourning both Gothel and Cassandra. She was free, but at an unbearable cost, and though her life had begun, the life of the only two people she'd ever truly been close with had ended at the same time. She sat there, sobbing for several more moments before climbing to her feet, knowing there was one thing she still needed to do before she could go back home.

_Cassandra... I have to say goodbye._

Rapunzel descended the tower the long way, no longer able to use her hair to do so. She walked around to where Cassandra had fallen, and there she was... stretched out over Fidella's back, the chain still wrapped tightly around her neck. Fidella looked to be in some pain as well... it seemed Cassandra had fallen onto her. Rapunzel stroked Fidella's mane, and Fidella let out a neigh of sorrow. Rapunzel then went to unwrap the chain from Cassandra's neck, and could see that it wasn't as taut as it appeared from the window... she unwrapped it from Cassandra, and though her neck did have an ugly bruise, it didn't appear to be broken.

“R.....Rapunzel...?” came the raspy voice from the fallen Cassandra. Rapunzel let out a gasp, and immediately went to lift Cassandra from the horse, only for Cassandra to cry out softly in pain. “G....gghh....ggaahhn....ahhh...”

Cassandra's breathing was weak and raspy, but she was still breathing... somehow, she was still alive. Rapunzel quickly surmised what had happened... Fidella had broken Cassandra's fall, preventing her neck from snapping... but at the consequence of breaking Cassandra's back instead. Either way, the wound in her side was still a fatal one, and from the looks of it, Cassandra was paralyzed from her fall, having not moved any of her limbs since landing on Fidella. She was alive, but she wouldn't be for long... it was a miracle she hadn't already died.

“Fidella saved you,” said Rapunzel quietly, kneeling down beside Cassandra with tears streaming down her face. “She's a good horse...”

“She's too good of a horse,” Cassandra replied, looking up at her. “S...sorry I landed on you...”

Fidella neighed again, showing Cassandra that she wasn't badly harmed, though she too could sense that Cassandra was dying, and Rapunzel held Cassandra's hands in hers, even though Cassandra couldn't feel it.

“Raps... you did it... you saved yourself,” said Cassandra, smiling. “Raps....”

Cassandra's voice trailed off... she'd lost too much blood, and nothing could save her now, nothing except the magic that was now gone from this world. Rapunzel gasped, and held Cassandra close.

“No no no no no, Cass... look at me! Look at me, I'm right here! Stay with me, Cassandra!”

She grabbed Cassandra's hand and pressed it to her now shortened hair, trying her best to make its powers activate one last time.

“Flower, gleam and glow, let your powers shine, make the clock reverse... bring back what once was mine... no, no... Cass, no! Cassandra...”

Cassandra could barely hold her eyes open now, and as Rapunzel held her close, she smiled and tried her best to comfort the girl she loved in her final moments... even though Rapunzel hadn't been able to save her from death, she'd saved her in every other possible way... and wanted Rapunzel to know how much it all meant to her.

“You were... my destiny,” Cassandra breathed, looking into Rapunzel's eyes. Rapunzel looked at her and sobbed, managing a small laugh as she held Cassandra's hands tightly.

“And you were mine.”

Cassandra breathed one last time, and finally, her ravaged body could no longer sustain her life. She felt herself slip away, and Rapunzel felt it as well. Rapunzel held Cassandra tightly, but no matter how much she willed it, she couldn't restore her life, and there was no magic remaining in her body. She wept, and continued to hold Cassandra's hands in hers, looking down at her as she and Fidella both mourned in silent sorrow.

_Heal what has been hurt..._

_Change the fates' design..._

_Save what has been lost..._

_Bring back what once was mine..._

Rapunzel pressed her face softly against Cassandra's, their foreheads pressing together. A single tear fell from her eye, and found its way to her cheek.

_What once was mine..._

Rapunzel continued to sob over Cassandra, and that single tear disappeared from Cassandra's face, unseen. Rapunzel held Cassandra close, wanting to stay with her as long as she could, knowing she'd never hear Cassandra's voice or walk with her again, knowing she'd never be able to thank Cassandra for giving her her freedom... for giving her her life.

_Cass... I'll never forget you. I promise._

And as Rapunzel held Cassandra, eyes closed, weeping with sorrow, she didn't notice the light that began to trace its way from Cassandra's face to the wound in her side, to her bruised neck and to her broken back. Only when the light got so bright that it became underwhelming did Rapunzel finally notice, as it encircled Cassandra's body, taking the shape of a flower wrapped all around her midsection, beams of light leaping from one segment of her body to another, bathing Rapunzel in warmth. She looked up in shock, continuing to hold Cassandra close as the light washed over both of them, and finally fading with a twin glow at the site of Cassandra's injured side and the center of her back, before disappearing entirely. Rapunzel, feeling the warmth return to Cassandra's body, looked down at her side and then up at her face.

_It couldn't be..._

Cassandra's eyelids began to stir. Rapunzel gasped. Cassandra opened her eyes, and could feel her arms and her legs again... but not even the slightest bit of pain anywhere in her body. She looked up and saw Rapunzel leaning over her, eyes wide in shock.

“Rapunzel...?”

“Cassandra?”

“...bet you'll be a lot quicker fighter without all that hair weighing you down,” Cassandra said with a smirk. Rapunzel giggled,, then wrapped her arms tightly around Cassandra's back.

“Cassandra!” shouted Rapunzel again, collapsing into Cassandra's arms. Cassandra held her close, and the two lay down in the grass with one another as Fidella gave an overjoyed neigh. The two held each other for several seconds, weeping tears of joy into the chest of the other, overwhelmed and surprised and ecstatic to be alive, before sitting up, still in each other's arms, and looking deeply into each other's eyes. Cassandra leaned forward, and Rapunzel came the rest of the way, pulling Cassandra forward by the shirt until the two were kissing... and without the threat of imminent death over either of their heads, this was a real first kiss, and turned into quite a passionate one.

“Mmmm....Raps...” said Cassandra, as their lips finally parted. “Sorry I scared you...”

“I'm sorry too.. for not standing up to Gothel sooner.”

“Don't apologize,” said Cassandra, leaning in and nuzzling her forehead against Rapunzel's. “Now I know why you didn't leave. ...makes me sick that I was her daughter...”

They continued caressing each other's backs, staying close just to feel that the other was safe in their arms. They still had a lot to talk about... Cassandra still needed to talk to someone about what the Stabbingtons had put her though, Rapunzel needed to come down from the fact that she'd just felt the woman she loved die in her arms... but for the moment, all they needed was each other. They were safe, and free, and happy, and they sat there cuddling in the grass for quite some time, with Fidella and Pascal giving them all the space they needed to be alone together.

There would be time for Cassandra to reconcile with her dad, and time for Rapunzel to meet her true parents.

There would be all the time in the world, but for now, Cassandra and Rapunzel were finally free.

Now, their lives could begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't the ending of the story, there is an epilogue coming up!


	8. Ever After

The warm sunshine and light breeze made the walk back to the royal capital of Corona a pleasant one for Cassandra and Rapunzel, though the events of earlier that morning still weighed heavily on them both. They walked together alongside Fidella, who was without a rider, as Cassandra didn't want to risk injuring her further after landing on her back from such a great height. The two were holding hands, with Rapunzel occasionally leaning on Cassandra for comfort and support... something both of them needed as they talked about what had happened before and what they were going to do now.

“I'm a little worried about mom and dad...” said Rapunzel, looking up at Cassandra and squeezing her hand tightly. “What if they don't recognize me? It's been eighteen years, and my hair is different, and...”

“It'll be all right, Raps,” Cassandra reassured her. “Parents never forget... they'll know exactly who you are, and they'll love you as much as they always have.”

Rapunzel was still nervous about meeting her parents, even if they did recognize her. Her whole life was about to change... she was about to go from being a girl trapped in a tower to being the princess of an entire kingdom... with so much to learn.

“I just hope dad understands why I did what I did. Who knows, the moment I step in there he might send me straight to a convent.”

“I won't let that happen,” said Rapunzel. “I'll let the whole kingdom know how you saved me and brought me back. He'll have to let you into the guard! Maybe he'll step down and make you captain!”

“Yeah, that'd be a stretch,” replied Cassandra sarcastically, smiling but also rolling her eyes. “Actually, I've been thinking about the guard, and... I'm not so sure it's even what I want anymore. Remember when I told you you were my destiny?”

Rapunzel nodded, a mixture of emotions suddenly flooding her mind. It was a happy memory... it was when she knew Cassandra loved her more than anything else in the world, and that the two could spend the rest of their lives together... but it was also a sad memory, as it was the last thing Cassandra said before she died. Rapunzel's heart hurt every time she thought about Cassandra dying in her arms, and as Cassandra saw the sad look forming on Rapunzel's face, she leaned over and nuzzled her cheek.

“Hey, sorry to bring it up... I'm okay now, Raps, I'm right here and I always will be.”

“I know, it's just... it's hard... thinking about everything. Mother... she... I...”

Cassandra stopped for a moment and turned to Rapunzel, taking both hands in hers.

“Raps, what you did back there... it was the right thing, even if it doesn't feel like it. That woman, she... she was using you.”

“But I still loved her, even after everything she did, and I'm the one who...”

Rapunzel gently lifted her hands and Cassandra's in order to wipe a tear from her face. Cassandra leaned in and kissed the top of Rapunzel's hands, and gave her a reassuring smile.

“You _are_ my destiny, Raps. I still want to join the guard and protect people, but the person I most want to protect now is you. I'll go anywhere you want... to the palace, or around the world, or wherever. I just want to be by your side. I'm right here.”

“Cass... she was your mother too, are you feeling okay?”

“She was _not_ my mother, Raps. She used us both... I'm just sorry she used you so much longer than she used me. I wish it had been me locked up with her and not you...”

“No, Cass... I'm... I'm glad it went the way it did. I learned so much about myself from her and from you... I learned how strong I am, I learned how to stand up for myself and fight for what matters. I... I'll miss her, in some strange way... but I don't regret what I did, and I don't regret what happened to me. What matters how is that I'm safe... we're safe, and I can finally start living my life the way I want.”

“...I can too, Raps.”

The two shared a quick peck on the lips before resuming their journey, walking down the road that led to the capital. They didn't know what would happen when they got there... what their parents would say, how the kingdom would react, but at this point, nothing mattered except the fact that they had each other. They'd deal with everything else as it came.

The road was mostly empty, and the two had plenty of time to themselves, continuing to talk and enjoy the pleasant day, their stroll only interrupted by another set of companions heading down the road in the opposite direction. As Fidella saw them, she glared a warning, and Cassandra rolled her eyes. Rapunzel, however, was much more excited to see the two travelers, and she even stepped out ahead of her companions to greet them.

“Raps, be careful!” Cassandra called out to her.

“It's so good to see you two again!” Rapunzel said happily, eyes beaming with excitement.

The two thieves were much less excited, trudging away from the capital with their heads slightly bowed, and glum looks on their faces. They'd had the crown, gotten away with a fortune... but had lost it all because Flynn, whose real name he'd revealed to Cassandra as Eugene, had gotten a sudden attack of conscience and had decided to play hero, just like the literary hero whose namesake he took. He couldn't help but smile when he saw Rapunzel, her happy face and sweet voice lifting his downtrodden spirits. Lance was quite happy as well, ready to forgive and forget his hands-on encounter with Rapunzel and Cassandra back at the inn.

“Blondie!” Eugene called to her. “Wait... uh... you... cut... and dyed your hair? What happened, you trip over it one too many times running from the guards?”

“Nice to see you too,” Rapunzel replied with a giggle and a smirk.

“I think you two owe us a crown,” said Lance, looking over at Cassandra. “After all, my buddy here did save you from those big mean Stabbington brothers.”

“Yeah, that's not gonna happen,” Cassandra replied. “In fact, I think I hear the royal guard coming, you might want to run.”

Eugene and Lance both laughed nervously, but Rapunzel was in a much more friendly mood, especially after what Cassandra had told her about Eugene and how he'd saved her life. She knew the thief had a good heart, and after what he'd done for Cassandra, she'd always be grateful.

“You two still trying to catch us?” asked Eugene, noticing that Rapunzel hadn't made any move to capture or attack him this time around.

“Nope,” replied Rapunzel. “After what you did for Cassandra, I think you deserve a royal pardon.”

“Oh! She... told you about that, huh?” said Eugene, looking slightly nervous as he glanced over at Cassandra. “What else did she uh, tell you?”

“Nothing,” said Rapunzel, looking back at Cassandra, who was smiling increasingly wide. “Why... is there something else I should know about you?”

“N...no, of course not!” Eugene said with a nervous laugh, putting his hand on his chin.

“He's still got your frying pan,” replied Lance.

“Oh! Well... there are plenty of frying pans where we're going,” said Rapunzel. “Maybe you should keep it.”

“Really?” said Eugene, taking it out of his satchel and holding it up. “Because a guy could get used to swinging this thing... no, you know what, Rapunzel? You take it.”

Eugene then handed Rapunzel the frying pan, and she took it with a smile. She looked back at Cassandra, who rolled her eyes again but allowed herself a friendly smile back, showing Eugene and Lance that there were no hard feelings... and that she was still grateful to Eugene for saving her, which in turn had given her the chance to save Rapunzel.

_We really do owe them our lives_ , thought Cassandra, wondering how her father would react to finding out she'd been rescued by the most wanted thief in the kingdom... and that she wanted to give him a pardon provided he didn't try stealing anything else.  _Who knows, it might be good having a couple of thieves as friends. I'm sure they know plenty of places other thieves are hiding, if they could be persuaded to break their code. I might not be good at convincing them, but Rapunzel... enough sweet talk and they might be ready to cough up anything._

“You going soft, Flynn?” asked Lance, smiling and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Hey, you're the one who spilled all our secrets after she sweet talked you!” said Eugene, looking back at Lance.

“She threatened me! ...kind of.”

“Oh, about that, Lance, I am so sorry!” said Rapunzel, walking over and giving him a hug. “I never should've threatened to call the guards on you, it was just awful of me and I hope you can forgive me...”

“Ugh,” Cassandra groaned, rolling her eyes again. “Can we just go? I'm starting to get sick watching all this sweetness.”

“Still as grumpy as ever, I see,” said Eugene. “Sounds like you'll fit right in with the Royal Guard!”

“I'll be a better guard than you are a thief,” replied Cassandra with a smirk.

“She has a point,” said Rapunzel as she released Lance from the tight hug. “I think you two would be much happier doing something else besides stealing from people! Maybe you could take jobs saving people from bad guys?”

“You mean mercenary work? Uh, no, that's not gonna happen,” replied Eugene, letting out a sigh. “Look, Rapunzel, I... I've been thinking a lot since we spoke, and maybe you're right, maybe thieving's not our thing...”

“It's not?” said Lance, looking somewhat surprised.

“Me and Lance are going to go and take a long hard look at our lives, see if there's something else we can make of ourselves.”

“We are?” Lance said again, raising his eyebrow as if he was looking at a completely different person.

“I'll believe it when I see it,” Cassandra snarked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Well, let me know when you do, I'll try to find work for you!” Rapunzel said happily, starting back over to Cassandra.

“I mean it, saving your friend really had a big impact on me,” said Eugene, turning to Lance. “But... I get it if it's not what you want to be doing.”

“Hey, you busted me out of prison, the least I can do is hear you out,” Lance replied, looking over at Rapunzel. “You really have a way with people, you know that?”

Rapunzel smiled proudly, and Cassandra put a hand on her shoulder.

“In the meantime, I'll tell the guards not to arrest you the moment they see you,” said Rapunzel.

“Uh, how are you gonna do that?” asked Eugene.

“You'll find out soon enough,” Rapunzel replied. She then turned back to leave with Cassandra... but before she did, she leaned up and kissed Eugene on the cheek. “And thank you... for saving Cassandra's life.”

“You're... welcome,” said Eugene, touching the spot on his cheek where Rapunzel had kissed him. As he started to blush, he then watched as she walked over and kissed Cassandra on the lips, and the blush disappeared from his face. _I... guess I should've seen that coming._

“And for the record?” said Rapunzel, as she and Cassandra walked past Eugene and Lance on the road. “I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider.”

“...you told her!” shouted Eugene. Cassandra just shrugged her shoulders, and she and Rapunzel soon disappeared down the path, as Eugene sighed and turned to his friend. “Well, there goes my reputation.”

Lance, meanwhile, was already putting two and two together. The painting in the town square, Rapunzel's formerly blonde hair, her green eyes, the fact that she could be both as sweet as the queen and as firm as the king...

“Buddy, did I ever tell you the benefit of having friends in high places? Maybe we should think twice about giving up this thieving thing.”

“I dunno, Lance, I'm really thinking about turning over a new leaf. I know it sounds crazy, but those two reminded me about why I took on the name Flynn Rider in the first place... to help people, not to help myself. If they're telling the truth about getting our names cleared with the guards, this could be a chance at a fresh start... for you and me both.”

“Yeah, that's true... the thing is, there's this treasure I heard about in prison, and it's still buried deep under Corona. It's no crown, but it'll be an easy job to pull off... and we could help a lot of people with the money we make.”

Eugene scratched his chin, thinking about a lot of things... Rapunzel and everything she'd said... the rush of excitement it had given him to rescue Cassandra... and he still wasn't sure what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, especially with a clean slate being dangled in front of him.

And yet, Lance's job sounded intriguing... and the idea of running with his best friend again really could be a lot of fun.

“Or, you know, we could just give up on stealing altogether and see what kind of jobs the lost princess might have for us. It's totally up to you.”

“...guess pulling another heist could be a lot of- wait, lost princess?!”

“Yep, something tells me you just saved the girlfriend of the lost princess, and that might be worth even more than that treasure.”

Eugene still couldn't believe what Lance was telling him. The lost princess? That girl Rapunzel was the lost princess? Before he could ponder it further, Lance put a hand on his shoulder, and the two started walking down the road together, as many new possibilities entered their minds. Whether they'd truly take Rapunzel's offer of a clean slate, or whether they'd slide back into a life of crime, neither of them yet knew... but their lives had been forever changed by their encounter with Rapunzel and Cassandra, and things would never be the same.

Meanwhile, Rapunzel and Cassandra were still thinking about the two thieves as they continued toward the capital.

“You know, Cass... I have a feeling we'll be seeing both of them again.”

“I hope not,” Cassandra groaned, earning a light elbow in her side from Rapunzel.

“Come on... you know deep down they're both good people.”

“Maybe, but even for good people, bad habits die hard. I just don't want you getting mixed up in any more trouble for a while.”

“You call it trouble, I call it adventure!”

Cassandra smiled. Rapunzel had a way of bringing light to even the darkest moments... and though she still feared the unknown, and still worried that she and Rapunzel might be torn apart by their new lives, she couldn't help but feel less afraid whenever her companion was near.

Finally, late in the afternoon, she and Rapunzel finally made it back to Corona's capital. The city was much calmer than it had been the previous day, and workers were busy cleaning up after the previous day's festivities. A few townspeople and guards recognized Cassandra, and tried to ask her about her father, but she waved them off, wanting to get Rapunzel back to her parents as quickly as possible. She hoped she wouldn't be interrupted along the way, but fortunately, no one stopped them from reaching the palace, and the two guards, both recognizing Cassandra, opened the door to allow both of them in, while Fidella remained outside. Cassandra could feel Rapunzel's hand trembling as they walked inside, and she tightened her grip, hoping that nerves wouldn't ruin the princess' reunion with her parents.

“Hey... it'll be all right,” said Cassandra.

“I know, it's just... I've never truly met my parents before... I hope everything goes okay.”

“It will. I promise.”

They continued through the palace, until reaching a long hallway near the throne room. Cassandra recognized her father standing near the door, having a worried conversation with two other guards. She heard her name being mentioned, and grew nervous herself as she and Rapunzel approached... feeling her own hand start to tremble and Rapunzel's hand tighten around it. Finally, the captain turned, and his eyes met Cassandra's for the first time. Cassandra stood at attention, Rapunzel's hand still clasped tightly in hers.

“Cassandra!”

The captain immediately walked over to his daughter, who tried her best not to show her emotion... but her trembling hands and quivering lip gave her away. She looked away from her father and toward Rapunzel, who just gave her a warm smile, as if to say that her own reunion could wait... she knew how much Cassandra and her father had missed each other.

But Cassandra, ever the dutiful soldier, shook her head and looked back at her father, swallowing back a sob and remaining stern and resolute.

“I have to see the king and queen immediately,” she said. “This girl, Rapunzel... she is the lost princess.”

“What?” the captain breathed, shaking his head in slight disbelief. “Cassandra, I don't understand-”

“Please, take us to them,” said Cassandra, whose expression softened a bit as she read the confusion on her father's face. “And then... then we can... talk.”

The captain didn't know what to do... whether to challenge Cassandra's assertion that this strange girl with short brown hair was the lost princess, or to sweep his daughter up into his arms... or to do his duty and do what his daughter asked. He had no reason not to believe she was telling the truth... and this girl's eyes did bear a striking resemblance to those of the queen... he'd also been told that his daughter had been attacked in the forest by a blonde girl, the same one who'd been with Cassandra when she'd defied him back at the dam, and this girl's face looked a lot like hers... then he remembered his training.

_When faced with many different options, always choose duty._

“...right,” said the captain, finally nodding his head. “I'll... I'll go get them right away. I think in the meantime, you two should wait out on the balcony.”

Cassandra and Rapunzel looked at each other, before turning back to the captain. Cassandra nodded her head.

“Of course,” said Cassandra. “C'mon, Raps, let's go...”

“Right... thank you,” said Rapunzel to the captain. As Cassandra passed her father, he reached out and took her other hand, squeezing it tightly. Their eyes met again... both of them almost let the mask slip, but neither shed a tear. They just nodded to each other, and Cassandra reassured him.

“I'm not going anywhere,” she said quietly. “We'll talk soon, I promise.”

The two stepped out onto the balcony, while the captain himself went to go fetch the king and queen. They stood together, looking out over the kingdom and taking it all in... Cassandra happy to be back home, and Rapunzel happy herself... and nervous, and all sorts of other emotions as she and Cassandra waited for the royals to emerge. They held each other's hands and wondered just what Rapunzel's parents would say... and what would happen to them afterward.

Then, the door opened.

“Cassandra?” came Queen Arianna's voice from the doorway. Cassandra turned, followed by Rapunzel, the two still holding each other's hands tightly. “Your father told me you've returned... with... with our daughter.”

“Your majesty,” replied Cassandra, bowing deeply. “I've returned with Rapunzel, safe and sound... I promise you, it's her. She might look a little different, but...”

Cassandra's voice trailed off as Arianna stepped closer, and Rapunzel stepped forward to meet her. They looked into each other's eyes as they stepped closer, but Arianna already knew... a mother always does. She met Rapunzel and reached up, touching her daughter's face and giving a look of recognition and joy. Rapunzel smiled sweetly, and tears found their way to her eyes... and to Cassandra's as she watched the mother and daughter reunite. Arianna then embraced Rapunzel, and Rapunzel returned the embrace, and she and Rapunzel began to cry together, and tears flowed from Cassandra's eyes as well, tears she tried to wipe away but couldn't quickly enough. King Frederic stepped forward as well, and Rapunzel looked up at him... and then he joined the embrace, and the three fell to their knees, holding each other and smiling and crying as Cassandra looked on, watching with a satisfied smile. As the newly reunited family held each other, Arianna looked up and saw Cassandra, and her eyes shined with gratitude.

“Cassandra, thank you for bringing my daughter back to me,” she said, reaching up to invite Cassandra into the embrace. Cassandra, wiping away another tear, shook her head and tried her best to maintain professional decorum.

“She... she brought herself back,” Cassandra replied. “I just helped... a little.”

Arianna was touched by Cassandra's humility, but wouldn't take no for an answer, continuing to reach for her hand. Cassandra sighed and reluctantly extended her own, more for Rapunzel than anything else... when she was quickly pulled in by the queen, and soon found herself in the middle of the embrace, feeling the love, joy, and gratitude from all three of them. She couldn't help but smile as Rapunzel and her parents both held her tight... and as Cassandra felt the warmth of Arianna's touch in particular, she soon found herself overwhelmed by emotion, and her tears began to flow a lot faster.

Cassandra had never in her entire life felt a mother's love until that very moment, and the queen had enough love for both Rapunzel and her companion. Rapunzel was more than happy to let Cassandra and Arianna nuzzle together, and Cassandra let out a sob, tears flowing freely down her face.

“Raps... this is your moment,” Cassandra whispered, looking into Rapunzel's eyes.

“I know,” Rapunzel replied, smiling as she soaked in the love from both her parents and Cassandra. “But I want them to know just how much you mean to me...”

The king and queen looked at each other, and Arianna smiled, remembering the courtship between Frederic and herself, and understanding just how close her daughter had become with Cassandra. Frederic nodded, though he wondered if the captain knew about any of this. He didn't spend much more time thinking about it... at the moment, he was just happy to have his daughter back... he didn't care who she was with, or what had happened... only the result mattered. The lost princess had returned... his sadness had been replaced with joy, and now he and his beloved queen both knew... everything was different now.

The hug lasted for a long time, and the king and queen waited until Rapunzel had begun to stand before they rose with her, and Cassandra as well. Cassandra wanted to stay with Rapunzel a bit longer, but knew that she and her parents had a massive amount of catching up to do... this really was Rapunzel's moment, and she deserved some time alone with the parents who'd been searching for her their whole lives.

“Raps, I'm... gonna go talk to my dad,” said Cassandra, gesturing toward the door. “I'm sure you three have a lot to say to each other.”

“Of course,” replied Rapunzel, still holding Cassandra's hands tightly in her own. “Good luck, okay?”

Cassandra nodded, and then felt the king's hand on one of her shoulders.

“Cassandra, you'll be very handsomely rewarded for what you've done today, I promise you,” said Frederick. “I'll make sure your father understands that you're ready for the Guard.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” said Cassandra graciously. “But... knowing that Rapunzel's safe and finally home with her real parents is enough reward for me, and with all due respect, whether or not I'm ready for the Guard is... still my dad's decision.”

“Ah, ever the humble soldier,” replied the king. “You're a shining example of the best Corona has to-”

Arianna gave her husband a look as if to tell him he was laying it on far too thick, then turned to Cassandra and smiled warmly.

“I know how close you and Rapunzel have become,” said Arianna, prompting Cassandra to blush slightly. “I'm sure you'll want to spend some more time together later... so feel free to come back when you and your father are done speaking.”

“Th...thank you... both of you.... I'd... best be going.”

Cassandra turned and left the balcony, and could hear Rapunzel starting to talk to her parents as she walked away. She wiped the last of the tears from her face, feeling an intense pride as she made her way back into the palace. Whatever happened with her dad, or the Guard, she had reunited a missing girl with her parents... she had reunited a family. That meant so much more than catching a thief, or saving a damsel, or defeating a villain... and Cassandra could rest well, knowing that her bravery had accomplished something truly worthwhile.

She went to look for her father, but didn't have to search long... he was waiting right outside the balcony door.

Their eyes met, and Cassandra opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. He said nothing to her either, looking down at her as she started to bow her head. She'd been through so much, learned so much, done so much, and yet here she was, right back to square one, barely able to face her father... she opened her mouth again, and her eyes began to burn as more tears came to them.

And as everything that had happened in the past couple days flooded back to her, Cassandra found herself suddenly overcome with emotion. She didn't say a word... she just collapsed, sobbing, into her father's arms, and was immediately embraced as she continued to cry into his chest, overwhelmed by it all and so very glad to be home and safe. Countless times, she thought she'd never see her father again, even though he was often the last person she wanted to see. She felt an all-encompassing need to apologize to him, but couldn't even form a single word, and felt his embrace tighten, and could even feel some sobs coming from him as well. She looked up and saw his eyes closed, no tears in them, but could feel the emotion in his gestures as he continued to hold her tightly.

She still couldn't apologize... all she could do was explain herself.

“I... I just wanted you to be proud of me...” Cassandra finally choked out, looking at him with the same sad, frightened eyes of that scared little girl her father had rescued from Gothel's cottage all those years ago. Her father looked at her, and finally, a tear came to his eye. He wiped it away and looked down at Cassandra, finally able to tell her the truth after all these years.

“I was always proud of you,” he said, prompting another loud wave of sobbing from Cassandra, who buried her head in his chest again. “And I'm so sorry... for everything.”

He didn't have to say what he was sorry for... Cassandra knew. Things would be different now... things were going to change. She didn't know exactly how they would change, but the days of being held back, the days of being sheltered, the days of being controlled... those days were over. She could see on her father's face and could hear it in the tone of his voice. She was all grown up now, and finally, she'd be treated as such... and she only had to almost die a whole bunch of times to make it happen.

“Why are you apologizing?” Cassandra stammered out.

“Because I'm the only one who needs to,” replied the captain. “Whatever danger you put yourself in, it's because I didn't support you. You should have been leading the expedition to go after Flynn Rider... instead, you had to go after him yourself because I was too scared to let you out of the palace.”

“...and I found the lost princess,” said Cassandra, after the captain finally released her from the embrace. “I never would have found her otherwise... so in a way, maybe I should be thanking you.”

The captain chuckled to himself, recognizing the slight bit of sarcasm in his daughter's voice.

“And to think I'd given up on finding her. But you... you never did, even after I tried to make you.”

“I gave up, for a while,” said Cassandra, bowing her head.

“No,” replied the captain. “You always hoped you'd find her, you never gave up entirely. Deep down, you always believed you'd be the one to bring her back... maybe that's why I was so worried about letting you go, because I was worried you'd try chasing down that dream I'd given up on. So... even if I had believed in you sooner, you still would've found her. Hell, I bet you'd have found her even sooner.”

Cassandra smiled, looking slightly away from her father now. Then, a dark thought crossed her mind, and she bowed her head before looking back with a grim expression.

“I found someone else too, dad,” said Cassandra, holding her arms close to her chest. “I... I found mother.”

“Oh,” replied the captain, sadness crossing his voice as he saw the look of grief in Cassandra's eyes. “I'm so sorry.”

“She tried to kill me,” Cassandra said, almost in a whisper. “Actually... she did kill me, sort of... it took the last of Rapunzel's healing powers to bring me back.”

The captain didn't know what to think... his daughter had died? Rapunzel had healing powers? He scratched his head for a moment, but noticing the state his daughter was in, he soon reached forward and placed a supporting hand on her shoulder, trying to bring back her smile.

“Cassandra, I don't know what to tell you...”

“...she wasn't my real mother,” said Cassandra, placing her hand on her father's. “She never loved me, even after she gave birth to me. She kept me in that cottage for years, doing chores for her so she could go out and bask in the Sundrop's glow, or flirt with men, or whatever it is she spent her days doing. I didn't have anyone until you came and saved me...”

“When I lost Katia, I thought I'd lost everything too...” replied the captain, his voice starting to quiver. “I didn't know what came over me when I found you in that cottage, but something told me I had to be your father. Maybe it was Katia, speaking to me from the grave... but... whatever it was, I'm thankful every day to have you as a daughter. I've made some mistakes...”

“You were the best dad I ever could've asked for,” said Cassandra. “Thank you.”

The captain could no longer contain his emotions, and as he began to sob, Cassandra embraced him again, letting him bury his head against her shoulder so that no passing guards would see him cry. She still had a lot to tell him... how she and Rapunzel had met, the time they had together at the pub... and she'd probably need to tell him what the Stabbingtons tried to do, though she'd talk to Rapunzel about it first, so she could decide whether or not she needed to hide them before the captain got to them. After the captain had his cry, the two began walking the halls of the palace together, continuing to catch up, and talking about Cassandra's future with the royal guard. It would take some time to hash everything out, but Cassandra already knew she'd never have to worry about being unfairly held back again.

O-O-O

Of course, Rapunzel's return was a source of celebration for Corona. The workers didn't even have time to finish up cleaning from the last festival before the new one began, kicking off an entire week of dancing in the streets as everyone in the kingdom got to know the lost princess for the first time. Cassandra spent almost the whole week at Rapunzel's side, and though she tried to focus on protecting the princess, more often than not, Rapunzel dragged her into one party after another.

Nearly everyone in the kingdom was invited, and that meant _everyone_... even those with light criminal records like the thugs from the Snuggly Duckling got a full pardon, allowing them to accept the invite Rapunzel had insisted on giving them. That gave the thug known as Hookhand plenty of time to indulge in his dream of playing the piano, while Cassandra tried her best to restrain herself from starting another fight.

“I gotta say, the crown looks good on you, princess,” said Cassandra, watching as Rapunzel mingled with the young braid-wearing girls who they'd first met at the lost princess festival. “Still not used to calling you that...”

“Then don't,” said Rapunzel with a giggle, her beautiful crown sparking in the sunlight. “Just call me Raps, and I'll keep calling you Cass.”

Cassandra nodded, then began looking back and forth, her eyes cautiously scanning the crowd.

“Cass, what are you doing?” asked Rapunzel.

“Just keeping an eye out in case anyone shows up to steal the crown. Particularly Eugene and Lance.”

“Oh, stop that, I think they've turned over a new leaf and we've got nothing to worry about from them. Besides, Fidella and Maximus are in charge of security, just look at them!”

Cassandra looked over to see the two horses walking amongst a group of guards together, inspecting them carefully. As Fidella scowled at one of the guards who'd been slouching, she felt Maximus rubbing his snout against her in a flirtatious manner, and when she snapped her head toward him, Maximus gave an innocent look, whistling to himself as Fidella snorted and nudged him with her own snout. Rapunzel giggled, then giggled again as Pascal crawled up onto her shoulder.

“Yes, Pascal, we're finally home,” said Rapunzel, playfully kissing her chameleon on the top of his head. Cassandra then felt a pair of feet perch on her own shoulder, and looked up to see her owl, hooting softly.

“Good to see you again too, Owl,” replied Cassandra. “Hope you weren't too lonely while I was away... did you keep yourself well fed?”

Cassandra's owl hooted again and nodded. She looked up to see her father standing nearby, keeping watch over the king and queen, and she and Rapunzel walked over to them. Rapunzel hugged her parents tightly, something she'd done quiet a bit over the past 24 hours, and the captain simply gave Cassandra a proud nod, acknowledging all the good work she'd done.

_All of this is because of you, Cassandra,_ thought the captain, looking out over the town square to see thousands of people dancing and cheering happily. He then looked at the king and queen with their daughter, and realized just how close he'd come to losing his own family a second time. He would still worry about Cassandra, worry about her every day, especially after all the close calls she'd told him about... but he knew she could protect herself far better than anything he could do for her. She'd already surpassed him as a fighter, and after bringing back Rapunzel safe and sound, she'd surpassed him as a hero as well. 

He looked at Rapunzel, and after everything Cassandra had told him about her, he knew his daughter would still have someone to protect her. He hated to place such a burden on the princess, but just like his daughter's own ambitions, it wasn't his choice to make.

_Keep her safe, Rapunzel. I know she'll do the same for you._

Rapunzel parted from her parents and took Cassandra's hand once again, pulling her toward a large group dance going on in the square. Cassandra was reluctant at first, but her walls broke down quickly, and she smiled and laughed as Rapunzel began dancing with her in the middle of a large crowd of people.

“Ah, so, our daughters,” said the king, standing next to the captain as he watched Rapunzel and Cassandra dance in the square.

“To be quite honest, your majesty, I wasn't even aware Cassandra liked girls,” replied the captain. “I wasn't so sure she liked anyone.”

“Well, the princess will need a bodyguard,” said the king, “and I can think of no one better than your brave daughter.”

“That would be an honor,” replied the captain, a bit nervous as he continued to speak. “But, uh... that would have to be Cassandra's decision... your majesty.”

“Of course, of course,” said the king, giving the captain a firm pat on the back. “Though, as her commanding officer-”

“I was actually thinking of stepping down and recommending her for captain.”

“Oh? She's only twenty-one, do you think she's ready?”

The captain watched as his daughter danced with Rapunzel, and for the first time since she was a little girl, staring up at the floating lanterns with joy and wonder, he saw that Cassandra was truly happy. She was smiling, she was laughing... she picked up Rapunzel and twirled her around, and the two laughed together, looking into each other's eyes without a care in the world.

And the captain was happy as well.

“I think my daughter is ready for anything,” said the captain, watching his daughter dance with Rapunzel in the sunlight. The king watched as well, and Rapunzel's laughter brought joy to his heart... and he knew that much of that joy came from being with Cassandra.

“Then whatever she decides, it will be,” replied the king. “Will you remain at your post if she's not willing to become captain?”

“I will,” the captain said. “If you're willing to keep me on.”

“You trained the knight who saved my daughter... which makes you the best captain of the guard Corona's ever had. I'd hate to see you go.”

“It'll be up to Cassandra,” the captain replied. _As it always should have been._

O-O-O

On the last day of Corona's celebrations, Rapunzel was happy but exhausted, sitting on her bed in her room at the palace... her room at the palace.

_My room at the palace._

_My palace._

_My home._

Though her room wasn't quite as warm as the one she had back at the tower, she'd wasted no time making it her own, decorating and painting it with her favorite things. Pascal was there, of course, her best friend, always by her side, loving the chance to explore a new environment... and of course, the palace itself was massive, providing Rapunzel plenty of space to run around and plenty of people to talk to... so many people it was almost overwhelming.

Of course, her favorite people were all so close by. Her father, a bit overprotective but warm and supporting. Her mother, who was so much kinder than Gothel had ever been, and who Rapunzel realized most of her creative side came from...

And Cassandra... her savior, her protector, her true love. Cassandra was there, living in the room just down the hallway, and the two saw each other every day, from early in the morning to late at night. They'd spent the week partying on the streets of Corona together, and already had so many plays for the days and weeks beyond... Cassandra had introduced Rapunzel to her collection of weapons, and Rapunzel had already made plans to have Cassandra pose for a portrait sometime next week.

Rapunzel couldn't believe she'd been so lucky to find so much love and happiness after her world had been turned upside down. Though she still had some remnant feelings of mourning toward Gothel, and though the trauma of what she'd endured would remain for quite some time, her brief week in the palace had already started to push most of the hurt and heartbreak from her mind. Her loved ones were there to support her... Cassandra was there to support her.

“Raps?” came Cassandra's voice as the door opened to Rapunzel's room. Rapunzel, still sitting on her bed, gestured for Cassandra to come over.

“It's good to see you, Cass! Sorry I ducked away from the party early... I'm just... all partied out, you know?”

“Well, even someone like you can't spend the whole week dancing,” said Cassandra, smiling as she sat down on the bed next to her. “How are you feeling?”

“Hmm?”

“I mean... about everything,” said Cassandra. “Your parents, the palace, everything that's happened... I know it's been a big adjustment, I wouldn't blame you if you were having a rough time.”

“Well... I mean, it's been like a dream come true, you know? I love my parents, and I love the people of Corona... I can finally go anywhere and do anything I want! There are so many books in the library, and so many new foods to try, and there's so much to do! But... but it's still hard.”

“You miss Gothel?”

“No... well...”

Cassandra reached over and touched Rapunzel's hands, stroking them softly. She looked into her eyes, not blaming her at all for feeling the way she did, even though Gothel was the woman who'd tried to kill her.

“...I spent eighteen years being raised by her, and even though she was using me and keeping me prisoner... I feel guilty about killing her.”

“You didn't kill her, Raps. You cut your hair, and she was disconnected from its magic. It's her fault she chose to bind herself to the magic of your hair.”

“But I...”

“...it's okay,” said Cassandra, squeezing Rapunzel's hands. “It's okay to feel however you want to feel... I just don't want you to be sad, that's all.”

“Not just sad,” said Rapunzel, leaning on Cassandra. “I have nightmares about being chained up in that tower and being taken away... I have nightmares about her hurting you.”

Cassandra nuzzled Rapunzel, and soon, the princess' head was buried in her chest. She stroked her hands up and down Rapunzel's head, running her hands through Rapunzel's short hair as she caressed her.

“I had a nightmare about the Stabbingtons every single night this week,” said Cassandra, her voice shaking. Rapunzel looked up at her, a look of sorrow and guilt in her eyes.

“Of them... hurting you?”

“Of them hurting _you_ ,” said Cassandra. She thought she might shed a tear, but it was Rapunzel who cried first, and the two embraced tenderly, holding each other close and trying not to let their minds dwell on the subject that had brought them both so much pain. “I accepted the offer to become your bodyguard because I want to protect you, but I know, Rapunzel, I _know_ you don't need me to protect you... you're the strongest person I know, but even so... it's overwhelming, I want to protect you so much it _hurts_... Raps, I'm sorry....”

“Sorry for what?”

“Sorry for not believing in you,” whispered Cassandra, a tear finally sliding down her face. Rapunzel nuzzled it away, looking deeply into Cassandra's eyes.

“Cass... just because you want to protect me doesn't mean you don't believe in me. I believe in you too, but I still want to protect you... actually, I've dreamed about rescuing you a couple of times.”

“You... rescue me?” asked Cassandra, before snickering. She immediately looked guilty, and tried her best to clarify herself. “I mean, you're... completely capable of rescuing me, you're more than strong enough, it's just... hard to imagine the brave knight Rapunzel storming in to rescue the fair damsel Cassandra.”

“Oh, you can't see me as a brave knight, huh?” said Rapunzel, sitting up on the bed and striking her best knightly pose. Cassandra put her hand up to her mouth, stifling another laugh, and Rapunzel continued with the routine, even deepening her voice. “Fear not, Cassandra, for I, the brave Lady Rapunzel-”

Cassandra cackled out loud, doubling over on the bed and completely losing it as she laughed loud enough to fill the entire room. Rapunzel began snickering as well, and she and Cassandra both shared a laugh with one another, wiping tears of laughter from their eyes. Cassandra knew Rapunzel was brave, just like the heroines in her stories, but it was hard to see Rapunzel as a knight, simply because the knights her dad had always told her about were so firm and strict, and Rapunzel, so free-spirited and kind, was anything but.

“Actually,” confessed Cassandra, sheepishly blushing as she looked into Rapunzel's eyes with a shy smile. “When Eugene showed up and clobbered the Stabbingtons with that frying pan, I thought for sure it was you... I was really hoping it was you.”

Rapunzel looked away, slightly guilty... while Cassandra was being held captive by the Stabbingtons, she was returning to the tower with Gothel... thinking for sure that Cassandra had betrayed her.

_Imagine... while I was believing Gothel's lies about Cassandra, she could've been..._

Rapunzel shivered, and Cassandra reached out and grabbed her hands again.

“It's not your fault,” said Cassandra.

“I wish I could've saved you,” replied Rapunzel, still looking guilty.

“I know, but it's not your fault, it was Gothel's. ...my own mother left me to those dogs... if I had known when I'd come into that room, she never would've gotten a single word out of her mouth.”

“I'm glad you didn't kill her,” said Rapunzel, placing her hand on Cassandra's face. “I hope you don't ever kill anyone.”

“First thing you did when you and your dad got to have a serious discussion about Corona's affairs was get him to end the practice of hanging,” said Cassandra, pride clearly present in her voice. “You begged him until he agreed to call off all executions.”

“Then I begged your dad not to kill the Stabbingtons,” said Rapunzel.

“Why?” asked Cassandra, not because she was unhappy with Rapunzel's request, but because she wanted to hear in Rapunzel's own words why she wanted mercy for them even after Cassandra explained everything they'd tried to do to her.

“Because.... and don't take this the wrong way, Cass, because I _hate_ them for what they almost did to you, but... I see the good even in them... I don't think anyone deserves to die, no matter what they've done.”

Rapunzel had never intended to kill Gothel when she'd cut her own hair... she just wanted to be free of her. If she could have been free of Gothel and saved her at the same time, she would have... Cassandra knew, she always knew, and she just kept smiling at Rapunzel. She leaned forward, nuzzling their foreheads together.

“Gothel was _so_ wrong about you,” Cassandra said softly.

“Hmm?”

“Remember when you told me what she said about sunshine? About how dark and cruel the world is, and how, if it finds even the slightest ray of sunshine, it destroys it?”

Rapunzel nodded, keeping her forehead pressed to Cassandra's.

“There is _nothing_ in this world that could ever destroy your light, Raps. You are... you are the light that destroys the darkness. That's your power. You destroyed the darkness in me, and you are still that light, even without your magic.”

“Cass...” whispered Rapunzel, clutching Cassandra's hands tightly as both of them began to cry, still smiling but overcome with emotion and trying to keep the trauma from intruding into her mind.

“Raps, all my life, I dreamed about the lost princess, imagining how I'd find her, picturing in my head over and over again how I'd rescue her. I spent so much time imagining myself saving the lost princess and spending the rest of my life with her.”

Cassandra parted slightly from Rapunzel, just far enough so that she could clearly see the face of her beloved. Behind Cassandra's tear-drenched face, Rapunzel could see a smile of unmistakable joy.

“I spent my whole life dreaming I'd save the lost princess... I never dreamed she'd be the one to save me.”

Cassandra leaned in, but she didn't have to come all the way... Rapunzel met her before the middle, and their lips touched, and then engulfed one another's, and soon they were locked in a fierce embrace and a passionate kiss, one neither of them wanted to part from. As tears slid down both their faces, they held each other tightly, hands all over the other's back, legs tangled, eyes closed as they felt each other's warmth. For all they'd endured, for all their trauma and pain, they had found each other in the darkness and had brought each other to the light, and now, nothing could tear them apart. There would be more adventures, more close calls, more pain... more joy, more laughter, more love than either of them could imagine.

When their lips finally parted, both of them were smiling... breathing heavily, but smiling.

“I love you, Raps,” said Cassandra, looking into the eyes of her sweet princess and knowing this beautiful woman in her arms was her destiny.

“I love you too, Cass,” said Rapunzel, looking into the eyes of her brave knight, her destiny staring right back.

And the two of them kissed again, meeting like the sun and the moon in the midst of an eclipse, shining in each other's arms, basking in each other's love, safe in their embrace...

Happily ever after.


End file.
